The Rizz meme: Meaning, origins, and the journey to Word of the Year
The Rizz meme is a slang term that is short for “charisma,” more specifically referring to the ability of men to attract women. The word has spread and diversified across communities, catching on until it became an essential part of Gen Z slang. Since its creation in 2021, it has spawned multiple spinoff memes and related pranks.
The term gained popularity on TikTok as the young user base began to raise up “Rizz Gods” and other Rizz figures as well as mock those who have “Zero Rizz” or even “Negative Rizz.”
Rizz meme basics:
- Meme Creator: Twitch streamers Kai Cenat and Silky
- Meme Type: Slang
- First Appearance: May 2021
- Origin Source: Twitch
- Used to Convey: Charisma
- Peak Popularity: December 2023
What does the slang term 'Rizz' mean? How do you have Rizz?
The Oxford English Dictionary, which named Rizz as the 2023 Word of the Year, is defined as “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.”
Like with "refrigerator" and "influenza," Rizz is a rare term that takes the middle of its origin—charisma—and uses that as a shortened form of the word. It can also be used in verb form, as in to "rizz up" a potential partner, meaning attempt to charm or seduce them.
Who made 'Rizz' a thing?
The term first emerged into popular consciousness during Twitch streams between Kai Cenat and Silky in May 2021. During a series of videos that show their live "e-dates" with various women, the two streamers came up with the word "rizz" as a measure of whether they did well during the date.
Who created Unspoken Rizz?
Credit for the term "Unspoken Rizz" goes to fellow Twitch streamer Duke Dennis. He used the phrase in a quote tweet about flirting with one's eyes on Sept. 1, 2021. It has since come to be defined as a next-level kind of charisma that comes effortlessly to the wielder.
What does Rizz God mean?
"Rizz God" is one of the first of many Rizz-themed nicknames that people have come up with since 2021. The earliest use of the term found on Twitter appeared on June 8 of that year, by user @nishippangppang, and it took off in August after Kai Cenat had a successful date with adult film star Teanna Trump.
After many fans declared it so, Cenat named himself a Rizz God on August 10.
When did the Rizz meme get popular?
Following a small peak in May 2021, the use of the term "Rizz" appears to drop off for a while before hitting a new wave of popularity in December 2022. This was around the time that inventing new Rizz-related nicknames like "The Rizzler" became a viral trend on TikTok.
Interest in the term rose and crested throughout 2023 before hitting its highest peak that December, just after it earned the Word of the Year award.
Rizz meme variations
Other variations of the Rizz meme include the Rizz apple, which is an AI-generated image of a red apple with cartoon arms and legs as well as a smirking face. Its stance, with arms crossed near the bottom of the fruit, combined with a suave and confident expression caused people to declare that the apple has Rizz.
Chica Rizz appeared in late 2023 as a video clip in which the character from Five Nights at Freddy's reenacted the movements from the Dawg Skull Emoji meme. She licks her lips and runs her hands over her hair while staring into the camera as though trying to come on to or "rizz up" the person watching.
@mark_smith54321 Unmatched rizz #fnaf#chica#lightskinstare#rizzler ♬ original sound - ST. CHROMA
Various pranks and actions meant to test a person's Rizz have also emerged from the meme, such as the Rizz "Chin Up" Prank that became popular on TikTok in late 2022. This prank requires the tested to approach someone and distract them by pointing away or touching their arm, then grabbing or stroking their chin to reclaim their attention.
@lousanchezzzzz Lou- 3 Seth- 0
♬ original sound - lou sanchez
More Rizz meme examples:
@etvertzz Ws in the schaaaattttt #fyp #confidence #rizz #rizzler #cutegirl #comedyvideo #viralvideo ♬ original sound - ETVertz
@kgu1t Rizz #fyp #rizz ♬ original sound - Caydenz
@sue.rose That was the cutest move ever ???? #couplegoals #coupletrend #rizz #rizzmove #kiss #foreheadkiss #cutecouple #trend #suerose ♬ Cruel Summer - Taylor Swift
Related memes:
- The ‘TikTok Rizz Party,’ explained
- What does ‘Skibidi Ohio Rizz’ actually mean?
- Who is the ‘Blue Tie Kid’? The leader of the TikTok Rizz Party
- The ‘Jamaican Smile’ meme is ripe and ready for public consumption
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post The Rizz meme: Meaning, origins, and the journey to Word of the Year appeared first on The Daily Dot.