Word of the year: While 2023's word is 'rizz', what were the words of the year in the past?
Actor Tom Holland must surely be agreeing with Oxford University Press's choice this year
People are either nodding in agreement of questioning their knowledge of slang as the 2023 Oxford word of the year was revealed to be 'rizz'. Either-way, actor Tom Holland is surely agreeing with Oxford University Press's choice.
The actor went viral - along with the word - in June when he said in an interview with BuzzFeed: “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz.” Many may disagree with the charming actor's self-assessment, but the word is definitely growing in popularity.
So much so that has beaten off 'Swiftie', 'de-influencing', and 'beige flag' to be crowned 2023's winner. We put together an explainer on what the term means earlier this year when it was gaining popularity on TikTok and with internet streamers.
So what about previous winners of the Oxford word of the year? 2022 saw 'goblin mode' win - a slang term for self-indulgent, or lazy behaviour. In a true sign of the times too, 2021's word of the year was vax - short for vaccine.
Here's a list of winners from before then too:
- 2020 - no single word was chosen this year. Instead - as the world came ot grips with Covid-19 - themes around the pandemic including remote working and social media were explored.
- 2019 - climate emergency
- 2018 - toxic
- 2017 - youthquake
- 2016 - post-truth
- 2015 - 😂 (emoji of Face With Tears of Joy)
- 2014 - vape
- 2013 - selfie
- 2012 - omnishambles GIF (noun)
- 2011 - squeezed middle
- 2010 - big society refudiate
- 2009 - simples (Compare the Meerkat catchphrase)
- 2008 - credit crunch
- 2007 - carbon footprint
- 2006 - bovvered
- 2005 - sudoku
- 2004 - chav