Rizz

Last updated

Rizz ( /ˈrɪz/ ) is an internet slang word defined as "style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner"; it originated as an abbreviation of the word charisma . [1] The phrase was made popular outside the African American community by American YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat in mid-2021, though it was used colloquially long before. It subsequently garnered virality on the social media application TikTok. [2] Oxford University Press named it its word of the year for 2023. [3]

Contents

Etymology

Kai Cenat, who popularized the word rizz Kai Cenat.png
Kai Cenat, who popularized the word rizz

The popularity of the word in mid-2021 is attributed to Kai Cenat. Streaming on Twitch, Cenat would share to people how to have "rizz" and developed other phrases, such as "W rizz" and "L rizz", to describe a person's "winning" or "losing" abilities at attracting or chatting up a person/potential love interest. [4]

Rizz is a colloquial noun, used when describing possession of charisma. As a verb, rizz can be used to describe using charisma to attract someone, as to "rizz up" a person. [1] [3] It is believed that the middle syllable of the word charisma was shortened to create the word rizz. Oxford University Press described this formation pattern for a word as "unusual". However, this formation pattern can be seen in the shortening of words such as refrigerator (fridge), and influenza (flu). [1]

The word is mainly used by Generation Z, [5] though it has attracted significant use from Generation Alpha as well. [6] Further development of the word "rizz" includes "Rizzler" or "Rizz God," [7] meaning highly charismatic, and "Unspoken Rizz", meaning a person's ability to attract a person without speaking. [8]

In the media

Cenat stated in an interview on the No Jumper podcast that after the word went viral on TikTok he stopped using it himself, stating that the viral use on TikTok "butchered" the word. [4]

The term went further viral in June 2023, after actor Tom Holland explained in an interview with BuzzFeed that he possessed "limited rizz" and it was by playing the "long game" that helped to win over his girlfriend, actress Zendaya. From this, a number of memes were created. [9]

Rizz was named the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Year for 2023. [10] [11] [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Bimbo</i> Slang term

Bimbo is slang for a conventionally attractive, sexualized naïve woman. The term was originally used in the United States as early as 1919 for an unintelligent or brutish man. As of the early 21st century, the "stereotypical bimbo" appearance became akin to that of a physically attractive woman. It is commonly employed to characterize women who are blonde, have curvaceous physiques, wear excessive makeup, and dress in revealing attire while being associated with "the dumb blonde" stereotype.

Viral phenomena or viral sensations are objects or patterns that are able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them. Analogous to the way in which viruses propagate, the term viral pertains to a video, image, or written content spreading to numerous online users within a short time period. This concept has become a common way to describe how thoughts, information, and trends move into and through a human population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TikTok</span> Video-focused social media platform

TikTok, whose mainland Chinese and Hong Kong counterpart is Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 60 minutes. It can be accessed with a smart phone app or the web.

Nicole Sanchez, better known as Neekolul, is an American online streamer, YouTuber and internet personality. In March 2020, her popularity online rose when she uploaded a TikTok featuring her lip syncing to the song "Oki Doki Boomer" while wearing a Bernie 2020 crop top; this TikTok was a direct reference to the "OK boomer" Internet meme that was popularized in late 2019. In July 2020, she was signed as a content creator for the gaming organization 100 Thieves. In 2023, she left 100 Thieves.

Simp is an internet slang term describing someone who shows excessive sympathy and attention toward another person, typically to someone who does not reciprocate the same feelings, in pursuit of affection or a sexual relationship. This behavior, known as simping, is carried out toward a variety of targets, including celebrities, politicians, e-girls, and e-boys. The term had sporadic usage until gaining traction on social media in 2019.

Cheugy is an American neologism coined in 2013 as a pejorative description of lifestyle trends associated with the early 2010s. This aesthetic has been described as "the opposite of trendy" or "trying too hard". The term has been used positively by some who identify with the aesthetic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheesh!</span> 2021 single by Surfaces

"Sheesh!" is a 2021 song by the American music group Surfaces, featuring singer Tai Verdes, from the deluxe edition of the group's fourth studio album, Pacifico (2021). The song was recorded at rental accommodation fitted with music production equipment. The music composition is credited to Kameron Glasper and Tayla Parx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IShowSpeed</span> American internet personality (born 2005)

Darren Jason Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, is an American YouTuber and online streamer. He is known for his variety live streams that showcase dramatic and energetic behavior, as well as his IRL streams in worldwide locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goblin mode</span> Neologism

Goblin mode is a neologism for the rejection of societal expectations in a hedonistic manner without concern for one's self-image. While usage of the term dates back to 2009 with varying definitions, the term went viral in early 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kai Cenat</span> American Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 2001)

Kai Carlo Cenat III is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and influencer, who specializes in comedic live streams and videos. As of 2024, he is the fifth most-followed Twitch streamer with 13 million followers and most-subscribed Twitch streamer.

<i>-ussy</i> English-language morpheme

-ussy is an English-language morpheme derived from the word pussy used to create novel derived terms, typically with the implication of resembling the female genitalia in some way. Neologisms derived from pussy have existed in LGBT slang in the form bussy since the early 2000s, but were popularized in the late 2010s and early 2020s on social media platforms including Tumblr and TikTok. -ussy was named the American Dialect Society's word of the year for 2022.

<i>Skibidi Toilet</i> YouTube web series by Alexey Gerasimov

Skibidi Toilet is a machinima web series created by Alexey Gerasimov and released through YouTube videos and shorts on his channel DaFuq!?Boom!. Produced using Source Filmmaker, the series follows a war between human-headed toilets and humanoid characters with electronic devices for heads.

Delulu is an internet slang term used to describe the belief that one can influence one's own destiny through sheer willpower. Derived from the English-language word delusional, the term has its origins in K-pop communities where the term delulu is used to refer to individuals who were in a parasocial relationship with celebrities and had hopes of meeting them someday. The term has subsequently been adopted by Generation Z and Generation Alpha, popularized by viral TikTok trends such as the catchphrase "delulu is the solulu", implying that self-confidence is key to achieving one's dreams, however far-fetched. Solulu and trululu are slang terms for "solution" and "truth" respectively, and they are modeled after delulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junlper</span> Pseudonymous Twitter shitposter

Junlper is an American shitposter on Twitter. She is known for posting satirical screenshots of fabricated news stories and is credited with popularizing the term "goblin mode" and creating a viral fake headline about the "dick vein" being removed from Snickers candy bars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanum (streamer)</span> American Twitch streamer and YouTuber (born 1997)

Roberto Escanio, better known online as Fanum, is a Dominican-American streamer and content creator. Fanum emerged online around 2016. He is known for being the originator of the vernacular "Fanum tax". He won "Breakout Streamer of the Year" at the 13th Streamy Awards and the "Best Role Play Streamer" of the year award at the 2023 Streamer Awards.

Gyatt is a term from African-American Vernacular English originally used in exclamation, such as "gyatt damn". In the 2020s, the word experienced a semantic shift and gained the additional meaning of "a person, usually a woman, with large and attractive buttocks and sometimes an hourglass figure".

Ohio, also referred to as Only in Ohio or Ohio vs. the World, is an Internet slang and meme first popularized in 2016. The term refers to obviously surreal and random phenomena that supposedly occur in the U.S. state with the same name. The term is one of many slangs associated with Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

In Internet culture, brain rot refers to any Internet content deemed to be of low quality or value, or the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by it. The term also refers to excessive use of digital media, especially short-form entertainment, which may affect cognitive health. The term originated within the online cultures of Generation Alpha and Generation Z, but has since become mainstream.

Christian Joseph, known online as The Rizzler, is an American social media personality from New Jersey. He is best known for his "rizz face", an expression where he squints his eyes while stroking his chin and pursing his lips.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Heaton, Benedict (December 4, 2023). "Rizz crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023". Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  2. "Rizz – What does rizz mean?". slang.net. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Rizz named word of the year 2023 by Oxford University Press". BBC News. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "What does rizz mean, and do you have it? The Gen Z term storming TikTok". Yahoo Sports. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  5. "Word of the year 2023 is 'rizz' after Tom Holland interview fuelled rise in use – but what does the Oxford pick mean?". Sky News. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  6. Kircher, Madison Malone (November 8, 2023). "Gen Alpha Is Here. Can You Understand Their Slang?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  7. Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "How the slang term 'rizz' became an internet obsession that stumped boomers (and even zoomers)". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  8. Hall, Vanessa (April 4, 2023). "All About 'Rizz' and What It Actually Means". Parade. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  9. Khomami, Nadia (December 4, 2023). "Got rizz? Tom Holland memes propel popularity of 2023 word of the year". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  10. "Do you have 'rizz', the Oxford Word of the Year? - InDaily". www.indaily.com.au. December 5, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  11. "'Rizz' named Oxford Dictionary's word of the year". ABC News. December 4, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  12. Heaton, Benedict (December 4, 2023). "Rizz crowned Oxford Word of the Year 2023". Oxford University Press. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  13. "Rizz named word of the year 2023 by Oxford University Press". December 4, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2024.