rizz

Definition

Rizz is internet slang for style, charm, or charisma — the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner through flirtatious skill and personal magnetism. ^[1] Dictionary.com puts it more precisely, defining rizz as "attractiveness, charm, or skill in flirtation that allows one to easily attract romantic or sexual partners." ^[2]

Where it comes from

The word is a shortening of "charisma" — an unusual formation that draws from the middle of the word rather than its beginning or end — and it was popularised in 2021 by the American YouTuber and streamer Kai Cenat, notably through his "Rizz Academy" web series. ^[2] The slang went viral on TikTok, and Oxford named "rizz" its Word of the Year for 2023. ^[1]

In the manosphere

Unlike almost everything else in this glossary, "rizz" did not originate in the manosphere — it is general internet slang, and a teenager using it is usually saying nothing more than "charm". It appears here because its framing of attractiveness as a demonstrable, trainable skill overlaps with older manosphere ideas such as sexual market value and being a high-value man, and dating and self-improvement influencers have absorbed the word into the same pickup-artistry lineage of content that promises to teach charm. The label carries no ideology on its own; it is worth noticing only as a marker of that framing.