(CNN) – Linguists who chose the Oxford Dictionary’s English word of the year were impressed by a bright young contender who chose newcomer ‘rizz’ for the top spot.
Derived from the word “charisma” (in Spanish it is “charisma” and pronounced kəˈrizmə in English), “rizz” refers to a person’s ability to attract a romantic partner through “style, charm or attractiveness,” according to the dictionary publisher this Monday announced Oxford University Press (OUP). The word received more than 32,000 public votes, OUP added.
The popularity of “Rizz” skyrocketed earlier this year after Spider-Man actor Tom Holland was asked by Buzzfeed what the secret to his Rizz was. Your answer? “I have no rizz at all. I only have limited rizz.”
The editor of the Oxford English Dictionary added that the word can also be used as a verb in the phrase “rizz up,” meaning to attract or flirt with a person.
While word of the year candidates don’t necessarily have to be new, they do need to have some significance for that year. According to OUP, the 2023 list was selected to “reflect the mood, spirit or concerns of the year.”
How was “rizz” able to prevail against its competitors?
OUP experts shortlisted eight words, which were divided into competing pairs for the public to vote on. Of the four resulting finalists, the experts conducted one final analysis before choosing “rizz” as the winner.
The other finalists were “prompt,” the instruction to an artificial intelligence program that influences the content it creates; “Situation,” meaning a romantic relationship that is not considered formal or established; and finally “Swiftie,” the name given to an avid fan of singer Taylor Swift.
In 2022, Oxford’s word of the year was “goblin mode,” a slang term for behavior that is patently lazy and rejects societal norms.