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 (people born in the late 1990s to late 2000s), [5] though it has attracted significant use from Generation Alpha (people born in the early 2010s to early to mid-2020s) 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] The term may also be used to modify names, such as "Walt Rizzney" or "Rizzard of Oz" as word plays on Walt Disney and The Wizard of Oz respectively. [7]

In the media

Cenat stated in a June 2022 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 sensation 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 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.

"OK boomer" or "okay boomer" is a catchphrase and internet meme used to dismiss or mock attitudes typically associated with baby boomers – people born in the two decades following World War II. The phrase first drew widespread attention due to a November 2019 TikTok video in response to an older man, though the phrase had been coined years before that. It is used mostly by those of the Millennial generation and Generation Z. The phrase has developed into a retort for resistance to technological change, climate change denial, marginalization of members of minority groups, or opposition to younger generations' values more generally. Critics of the term perceive it as ageist. It has been noted as a marker of intergenerational conflict.

Nicole Sanchez, better known as Neekolul, is an American internet personality, Twitch streamer, and YouTuber. 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 simply Speed, is an American internet personality and online streamer. He is best known for his dramatic behavior in his variety livestreams, in which he primarily streams around the world, and plays video games. In 2022, IShowSpeed began to shift towards soccer-related content while also becoming an avid supporter of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, commonly revolving his content with support towards him.

<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 and YouTuber. He is best known for his live streams and comedy-based content he uploads on YouTube. He is currently the fifth most-followed Twitch streamer with 13 million followers and all-time most-subscribed Twitch streamer, surpassing Ludwig Ahgren's record during a February 2023 subathon. He was named "Streamer of the Year" at the 2023 and 2024 Streamer Awards.

<i>Skibidi Toilet</i> Web series and internet meme

Skibidi Toilet is a machinima web series of YouTube videos and shorts created by Alexey Gerasimov and uploaded on his YouTube channel DaFuq!?Boom!. Produced using Source Filmmaker, the series follows a fictional 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 Gonzalez, better known by his online alias Fanum, is an American streamer and content creator born in New York City, to parents of Dominican descent. Fanum began to emerge online around the year 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.

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

Fanum tax is an Internet slang term describing the theft of food between friends. Originally coined by American streamer Fanum, the term has become an internet meme, particularly employed and popularized by Generation Alpha.

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

Nicholas Stewart, better known as Jynxzi, is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and player of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, an online tactical shooter game. He is the 5th most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time. He was named "Best Breakthrough Streamer" and "Gamer of the Year" at the 2024 Streamer Awards.

Kylie Cox, known online as Sketch or TheSketchReal, is an American Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He is well known for his catchphrase, "What's up, brother?", which went viral and became a trend on the short-form video platform TikTok.

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. 1 2 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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.