Where the word rizz came from

Rizz means charm, or skill at attracting someone. Oxford University Press says it's believed to be a shortened form of "charisma." The streamer most associated with spreading the word has said it didn't mean that to him. Both accounts are on the record, and the sources below don't settle the difference, so this page gives each one.

What dictionaries say it means

Oxford's definition, published when it named the word, is "style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner." Merriam-Webster, which was reported in September 2023 to have added the word among 690 new entries, defines it as "romantic appeal or charm," according to Mental Floss's coverage of that update.

The two are close, and both are about attraction. In casual use the word can be looser than the definitions, covering anything from flirting to being easy to talk to. Unspoken rizz is the same idea without words, and modern dating terms puts rizz next to the rest of the current vocabulary.

Oxford's account: a clipped "charisma"

Oxford's announcement says the word is believed to come from "charisma," clipped from the middle. It points to a pattern also seen in words like "fridge" and "flu." In that telling, rizz is an ordinary case of a long word being shortened.

Kai Cenat's account

Kai Cenat is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer. Oxford describes him as widely credited online with popularizing the word in 2022, and Wikipedia dates his use to mid-2021, so the sources differ by a year or so. Neither gives a precise first-use date.

According to CBS News, Cenat told Complex that the word came from him and his friends before he said it on Twitch, and that to him it "meant game," not a shortened "charisma." Per Wikipedia, he later said on the No Jumper podcast that TikTok had "butchered" the word. Those are his statements as reported. Complex also reports that he pushed back on the "short for charisma" explanation in a chat on 360 With Speedy Morman. Oxford words its own explanation as "believed," and none of the sources used here gives a dated first use of the word by anyone.

How it spread

Oxford's announcement says the word rose in popularity on TikTok, with the hashtag receiving billions of views. Oxford doesn't give a figure or a date for that.

One moment in June 2023 is well documented. In a BuzzFeed interview, the actor Tom Holland was asked if he had any rizz. CBS News quotes his answer as "I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz." Wikipedia reports that the term spread further after that interview.

Word of the Year, 2023

On 4 December 2023, Oxford University Press named "rizz" its Word of the Year. Oxford says it created a shortlist of eight words, and after more than 30,000 people got involved, head-to-head contests over a four-day voting period narrowed it to four finalists: rizz, Swiftie, situationship and prompt. Oxford's language experts then chose the winner by weighing corpus data, the votes and public commentary.

The order of events is short:

When	What
2021 or 2022 (sources differ)	Kai Cenat is credited with popularizing the word on Twitch
June 2023	Tom Holland's BuzzFeed interview
September 2023	Merriam-Webster's 690 new entries, including rizz, are reported
4 December 2023	Oxford names it Word of the Year

Why it matters for dating

Slang gets used before it gets defined, and "rizz" is a loose label for things you can name more exactly. When people use it about talking to someone they like, they're often describing behaviors you can observe. A rule of thumb, not a definition:

Curiosity: asking one more question about what someone just said.
A relaxed voice and pace: not rushing, not performing.
Eye contact and a real smile held for a normal beat.
Humor that includes the other person, not only you.
Clear intent: saying you'd like to see them again, without pressure.

Each of those is a behavior, and behaviors can be practiced. That's one practical way to read the word, not a claim about what rizz "really" is. If you want lines, rizz lines that aren't corny covers what to say, and is street rizz real covers filmed approach videos tagged with the word.

Two other points are worth keeping in mind. Both dictionary definitions describe how someone comes across to others, so rizz is a description, not a measured score. And it depends on the situation, since the same person can come across differently at a party and in a classroom. How to rizz over text shows how the same habits carry over to messages.

Slang meanings shift, and this one may keep changing. If you use it, use it the way the person you're talking to does, or just say what you mean.

What to do next

Pick the behaviors you'd actually rate yourself on. Choose two from the list above, such as asking follow-up questions and keeping a relaxed pace.
Test them in three low-stakes chats this week. A barista, a classmate, a coworker. Count how many follow-up questions you ask in each.
Watch one street rizz clip with a pen. Write down the opener, the first question and how the conversation ended. Note what you can't see from the edit.
Record your own voice for 60 seconds telling a short story. Check your pace and whether you rushed the ending.
Write down one thing someone has said that you could use as a follow-up after each real conversation. Keep a note, and use it next time you see them.