Oxford University Unveils Its 2023 Word Of The Year, With Term Popular Among Gen Z As The Winner

The Oxford University Press announced its 2023 word of the year on Monday (4 December), and it’s one that you may need to use if you’re confident your flirty moves have a history of success, and your confidence is a force to be reckoned with.

If you exhibit this type of behavior, you may exude “rizz”, the chosen word for 2023, by Oxford’s standards.

A team of experts and tens of thousands of public votes selected rizz as the word which most captures 2023, Sky News reported.

Mainly used by Gen Z to describe someone’s ability to attract a romantic partner, the slang term beat seven other contenders to win word of the year, the broadcaster reported.

“Rizz” has become the chosen word for 2023, by Oxford’s standards

Image credits: Sigmund/Unsplash

Image credits: Oxford Languages

In fact, rizz beat the word “Swiftie”, which is a word created by Taylor Swift’s devotees to describe those who partake in the singer’s fanbase.

We don’t have hard evidence to prove it, but the increased amount of the use of the word rizz may be rooted in Spider-Man.

Recorded uses of the popular word have increased greatly this year, peaking in June when actor Tom Holland was asked about his rizz

Image credits: Oxford Languages

Image credits: Oxford Languages

According to Oxford University Press, recorded uses of the popular word have increased greatly this year, peaking in June when actor Tom Holland was asked about his rizz in a widely shared interview, as per the broadcaster.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, the 27-year-old actor notably proclaimed: “I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz.”

The language organization noted that rizz has some similarities to the term “game”, which has been used since the 1970s and is defined as “skill, prowess, or technique; the ability to impress; spec. the ability to attract others sexually by using one’s charm or charisma in an artful way,” The Independent reported.

Word of the Year 2023 is…#RIZZ

(n.) style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.

Tag someone who’s got plenty of it 👇#WOTY23#rizzpic.twitter.com/KBi6tTA3y4

— Oxford University Press (@OxUniPress) December 4, 2023

Rizz was reportedly on a shortlist of eight other prominent terms for the year in order to be selected as the Oxford Word of the Year.

Subsequently, language experts condensed them from the “22-billion-word corpus of language” at their disposal.

“I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz,” Tom Holland said

Image credits: tomholland2013

Image credits: BuzzFeed Celeb

Image credits: BuzzFeed Celeb

According to the publication, from Monday, November 27 to Thursday, November 30, members of the general public were invited to cast their votes for different terms in a head-to-head battle.

Moreover, experts from Oxford University Press reportedly said the shortlist of eight words and phrases was chosen to most reflect the mood, ethos, or preoccupations of the last year.

Swiftie followed rizz, while the remaining six popular words were the following:

De-influencing: The practice of discouraging people from buying particular products, or of encouraging people to reduce their consumption of material goods, esp. via social media.

Rizz was reportedly on a shortlist of eight other prominent terms for the year in order to be selected as the Oxford Word of the Year

Image credits: BuzzFeed Celeb

Beige flag: A character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality; (also) a trait or habit, esp. of a partner or potential partner, viewed as extremely characteristic, but not distinctly good or bad.

Heat dome: A persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area, which traps a mass of hot air below it.

Prompt: An instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content it generates.

“Situationship” was another strong contender on the list

Image credits: Oxford Languages

Parasocial: Designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided, unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, or follower for a well-known or prominent figure (typically a media celebrity), in which the follower or fan comes to feel (falsely) that they know the celebrity as a friend.

Situationship: A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.

Rizz beat the word “Swiftie”, which is a word created by Taylor Swift’s devotees to describe those who partake in the singer’s fanbase

Image credits: Oxford Languages

Speaking about this year’s campaign and the winner of Oxford Word of the Year 2023, Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Languages, said: “It has been incredible to see the public once again enjoying being a part of the Word of the Year selection. 

“Seeing thousands of people debate and discuss language like this really highlights the power it has in helping us to understand who we are, and process what’s happening to the world around us.”

“Prompt” gained popularity as a result of the invention of AI tools

Image credits: Oxford Languages

“Given that last year ‘goblin mode’ resonated with so many of us following the pandemic, it’s interesting to see a contrasting word like rizz come to the forefront, perhaps speaking to a prevailing mood of 2023 where more of us are opening ourselves up after a challenging few years and finding confidence in who we are.

“Rizz is a term that has boomed on social media and speaks to how language that enjoys intense popularity and currency within particular social communities—and even in some cases lose their popularity and become passé—can bleed into the mainstream.

“This is a story as old as language itself, but stories of linguistic evolution and expansion that used to take years can now take weeks or months.”

Many readers became familiar with the word thanks to their teens

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!