rizz
Americannoun
verb phrase
Etymology
Origin of rizz
Popularized in 2021 by U.S. YouTuber and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat (born 2001) with his “Rizz Academy” web series; shortening of (cha)ris(ma) ( def. )
Explanation
If you have rizz, people are fascinated by your irresistible charm. Your grandfather, who's as smooth and charismatic as Frank Sinatra, has definitely got rizz. Rizz is an abbreviation of charisma that was coined on Twitch by Kai Cenat before becoming a viral sensation on Tik Tok, especially among members of Gen Z. Oxford University Press declared rizz its 2023 word of the year, a move that instantly made the word significantly less cool. If you want to rizz up a cute classmate you're crushing on, you might want to avoid using the word rizz!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s not a mass-market EV in the world with more rizz for the money.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
She has also written about Grimace milkshakes, Taylor Swift-related conspiracy theories and rizz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
In subsequent years, voting has played only a part in the choices, which have included 2023's "rizz" -- a colloquial term defined as "style, charm, or attractiveness" -- and last year's "brain rot".
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
"My daughter has been trying to teach me all of these words like rizz and wasteman which I now understand is not a dustman but rather a waste of space."
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2024
Him’s be goin’ to rizz de peepil wid him norrible doin’s.
From The Gorilla Hunters by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
