Oxford University Press (OUP) has unveiled its 2023 Word of the Year, and in what may be the upset of the year, “Swiftie” didn’t make the cut. Of course, Swiftie refers to Taylor Swift’s legion of fans, who have taken their fandom to NFL fields after her recent relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelcie. Swift was on hand last night for NBC’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, with the latter pulling off the upset at Arrowhead Field in Kansas City. As for Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year, “Rizz” wound up the winner.
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“‘Rizz’ has been named Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year, beating out contenders like situationship, prompt, de-influencing and Swiftie,” a post from the New York Times account on Threads reads. The definition of “Rizz” reads, “The Gen Z slang term and Oxford’s 2023 Word of the Year is derived from ‘charisma.’ The word refers to ‘style, charm or attractiveness,’ or ‘the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.’” More than 32,000 votes from the public were cast.
Where does the Oxford 2023 Word of the Year Rizz come from?
“Rizz” has Spider-Man actor Tom Holland to thank for making its popularity skyrocket earlier in the year. At the time, Holland was asked by Buzzfeed what the secret to his rizz was, to which he replied, “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.”
“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,” said Casper Grathwohl, President of 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. The spike in usage data for rizz goes to prove that words and phrases that evolve from internet culture are increasingly becoming part of day-to-day vernacular and will continue to shape language trends in the future.”
