Did you have rizz this year?
Did you have rizz this year?
Oxford Dictionary has chosen their Word of 2023
Welcome to Gen Z Translator, where I break down trending topics on *Fridays. If you’re new, you can subscribe here and follow me on X/Twitter or Threads. Views are my own. Happy reading!
Merriam Webster’s word of the year was “authentic.”
“A high-volume lookup most years, authentic saw a substantial increase in 2023, driven by stories and conversations about AI, celebrity culture, identity, and social media,” the organization said in their release.
Meanwhile, Oxford Dictionary cut right to the chase with “rizz.”
And what is rizz, you ask? It’s not something that can be defined so much as experienced.
Jk.1 “Rizz” is the shortened form of “charisma.” If you’re a teenager, it’s what you need to ask someone to homecoming. Or win a game of Fortnight? Idk.2
This word surprised me when I heard it from my teenage brother earlier this year. I like to think I’m pretty hip and in with the times, but I had never heard of it. The term reminds me of gamer slang, like “OP”3 and “pog.”4
The Oxford Dictionary let people vote on their word and consulted with experts, while Merriam Webster relied on lookup data. I think they’re both interesting choices definitive of the era we’re in. “Authentic” may seem a little boring, but in September I noted this trend with Olivia Rodrigo’s social media presence. And AI? Been there, done that.
Rizz, however, is the people’s princess. Oxford described it as “pertaining to someone’s ability to attract another person through style, charm, or attractiveness.”
Here were some runner ups from both dictionaries. If you want to hear my personal definitions of ones I feel are relevant, you can check out the footnotes, because obviously I’m much more trustworthy than a dictionary.
Merriam Webster
Oxford Dictionary
If you want more fun vocabulary, the staff of USA Today came up with their own word list, including gems like girlboss, delulu11, vibe, and [it’s] giving.
My weekly roundup:
🎶 What I’m Listening To: Spotify’s soda playlist
🎞️ What I’m Watching: Survivor S5E11
🔎 What I’m Reading: Slacking right now
📱 What I’m Scrolling: Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year!! I could write a whole post on this, but I thought I’d spare you
*December 30 update: I forgot to send this newsletter as an email, so if you’re confused as to why you’re reading it on a Saturday instead of Friday, blame my scattered brain.
Read the full Gen Z Dictionary here.
Jk: Just kiddinggg
Idk: I don’t know
OP: “Overpowered.” Usually when a video game player has so much advantage that it becomes unfair
Deepfake: Realistic computer generated images or videos, often of celebrities or politicians
EGOT: The winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony
Situationship: An undefined relationship that drags on without clarity
Swiftie: Do I need to explain this one?
Beige flag: Not a red flag, but not a green flag
Deinfluencing: The process of undoing the influence of social media product marketing
Delulu: Short for “delusional,” big on TikTok