rizz en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Coined by YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat (or one of his close friends) around May 2021 and popularized on TikTok in 2022. Rizz further increased in prominence throughout 2023 and was chosen as the 2023 Word of the Year by Oxford University Press. Contrary to popular belief, Cenat has confirmed that the term is not short for charisma, though it has likely influenced the pronunciation. Possible earlier use In 1999, in the fourth episode, "Cassandra", of the eighth season of the British sitcom Red Dwarf, the character Arnold Rimmer uses the phrase "giving it rizz" referring to the act of engaging in sexual intercourse. While the usage in the episode implies a similar meaning to its modern colloquial meaning, it did not appear to have popularised the term. This line is referenced on the official Red Dwarf website https://reddwarf.co.uk/features/analysis/remembering-rimmer/, and the episode is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00bpm2n/red-dwarf-viii-4-cassandra
Meanings
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(slang, uncountable) Of a person, the ability to attract a love interest, usually female; charm or attractiveness.
While Glinda chases boys with rizz.
2024 November 18, “Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Perform a Song About Wicked”performed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo:Baby Gronk shared that he would be focusing not on grade school or a paper route but ... his love for video games. To be fair, the purported "rizz king" of the pre-pubescent sports world is probably not the one who actually said any of the above.
2023 June 26, Lauren Mechling, “Baby Gronk, internet stardom and the Sports Dad nightmare writ large”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Jul 2023:You got her number? W rizz!
Wow, that guy has no rizz whatsoever.
By now we all know how stilted and off-kilter ChatGPT sounds: blind confidence and a lack of shame can get you far in life, but could it really have more 'rizz' than even the most stilted and awkward human?
2024 January 8, James Greig, “Can AI finally help me to get some rizz? An investigation”, in Dazed, London: Dazed Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2024:negative rizz, L rizz
Bruh, that girl has better rizz than I do.
Near-synonyms: aura, charisma
On Monday, Hill posted a TikTok using a filter which rated her 'rizz level', with it giving her 96/100 and 'rizz god' status.
2023 July 18, Ben Nagle, “Olivia Dunne's online feud with TikTok rival Breckie Hill heats up as she claims fellow social media star 'can't keep my name out of her mouth'”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Jul 2023:As it turns out, Zendaya's rizz-o-meter needed to scan beyond the bounds of Arrakis to hone in on who had the most rizz of all.
2024 February 22, Kase Wickman, “Let Zendaya Tell You All About Tom Holland's Rizz”, in Radhika Jones, editor, Vanity Fair, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Mar 2024:
Deriveds
rizzler · quantum rizzics · harizzment · rizzless · rizzed up · unspoken rizz · rizzonomics · rizzful · rizz up · rizzology · rizzy · skibidi Ohio rizz
Descendants
Synonyms
wikipedia: Benjamin Zimmer · wikipedia: The Atlantic · wikipedia: Complex Networks · wikipedia: Oxford University Press · wikipedia: American Speech · wikipedia: Duke University Press · wikipedia: HITC