LONDON (AP) 鈥 Oxford University Press has named 鈥渞izz鈥 as its word of the year, highlighting the popularity of a term used by Generation Z to describe someone鈥檚 ability to attract or seduce another person.
It topped 鈥淪wiftie鈥 (an enthusiastic fan of Taylor Swift), 鈥渟ituationship鈥 (an informal romantic or sexual relationship) and 鈥減rompt鈥 (an instruction given to an artificial intelligence program) in the annual decision by experts at the publisher of the multivolume Oxford English Dictionary.
The four finalists were selected by a public vote and the winner was announced on Monday.
Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and can be used as a verb, as in to 鈥渞izz up,鈥 or chat someone up, the publisher said.
鈥淚t speaks to how younger generations create spaces 鈥 online or in person 鈥 where they own and define the language they use,鈥 the publisher said. 鈥淔rom activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too.鈥
American publisher Merriam-Webster included 鈥渞izz鈥 on its list of the year's top words but gave
