Every year, Oxford Languages (formerly known as Oxford Dictionaries) selects their top candidates for the word of the year and holds a vote for which one best represents our current time. This word should “reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.”
For 2023, after more than 30,000 votes were cast, the word of the year is “rizz” — a shortened form of “charisma.” This is a new slang word, which first started getting looked up in 2022, but saw a spike in searches in 2023, particularly after Tom Holland mentioned the term in a June 2023 interview.
Other finalists included “prompt” (made newly popular by AI), “situationship,” and “Swiftie.” The shortlist also included “beige flag,” “de-influencing,” “heat dome,” and “parasocial.”
For a different opinion, you can check out Merriam-Webster’s word of year. While “rizz” was in its runners-up list, it didn’t take the number one spot.
Read more about the word of the year at Oxford Languages.
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