The current era is the Gen Z era, and this year's Oxford word of the year, "rizz", is as Gen Z as it can get.

Etymologically, "rizz" originates from the shortening of the word "charisma". But rizz is more potent than charisma, and definitely more useful. Charisma refers to a quality that can inspire devotion in others, something leaders and romantics alike may want to achieve.

Rizz on the other hand is purely romantic, and a person with rizz attracts romantic attention with superb ease, breathtaking nonchalance, and inexplicable effectiveness.

According to popular website "Know Your Meme", even though the word originated in New York City slang earlier, it became notable when Twitch streamers Kai Cenat, Silky and Duke Dennis used it in mid-2021, and later exploded on TikTok and other social media.

We asked Robiah Arefin, a quintessential member of Gen Z, about what "rizz" meant to him. He said, "I think it's used to describe when someone is really good at smooth talking flirtatiously. Rizz is what I wish I had in 8th grade instead of crippling social anxiety. "

Oxford defines "rizz" as "style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner". While it is primarily a noun, it can be used as a verb phrase in compositions such as "to rizz up".

The word of the year gets chosen by Oxford University Press lexicographers from a shortlist of the most interest-generating and impactful new words in a year. This year's shortlist included trailblazers such as "prompt", "situationship", "swiftie", "beige flag", "de-influencing", "heat dome", and "parasocial".

Oxford University Press provided draft definitions for all these words:

prompt

noun

An instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content it generates.

situationship

noun

A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.

swiftie

noun

An enthusiastic fan of the singer Taylor Swift.

beige flag

noun

A character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality; (also) a trait or habit, esp. of a partner or potential partner, viewed as extremely characteristic, but not distinctly good or bad.

de-influencing

noun

The practice of discouraging people from buying particular products, or of encouraging people to reduce their consumption of material goods, esp. via social media.

heat dome

noun

A persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area, which traps a mass of hot air below it.

parasocial

adjective

Designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided, unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, or follower for a well-known or prominent figure (typically a media celebrity), in which the follower or fan comes to feel (falsely) that they know the celebrity as a friend.