From TikTok to the aisles of Walmart and everywhere in between, people are talking about rizz: one of the internet’s new favorite words, which is basically a cooler version of “spitting game”
Most viral slang terms become irrelevant in a matter of weeks, if not days. But rizz has been around for more than a year and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. But before you try to act all cool by saying “rizz,” we need to lay some groundwork so you don’t sound like an idiot.
In this article we’ll break down the official definition of rizz, where the term came from, and how it went from underground to mainstream slang.
What Does Rizz Mean?
“Rizz” is a slang term for the ability to charm or seduce a potential romantic partner. Rizz is a shortened version of the word “charisma” (cha-rizz-ma, get it?). Rizz is basically another way to say someone has “game” or “swagger” when it comes to verbal communication with someone they’re interested in.
Rizz is most commonly used in the context of guys flirting with women, and there are a bunch of ways to work it into your vocabulary. Here are couple of examples:
“Did you see Steve get that girl’s digits on the way out? He has serious rizz.”
“My pits stink and it’s totally messing up my rizz.”
You can also use rizz as a verb to describe the act of spitting game:
“Is Melissa single? I’m about to rizz her up.”
“I was rizzing her up but then I accidentally spilled my beer all over her shirt.”
Where Did the Term ‘Rizz’ Come From?
The term “rizz” was coined by Twitch streamer Kai Cenat. It gained popularity in 2021, but Kai says it has a long history. In an interview with Adam22 on No Jumper, Cenat said he and his friends invented the term rizz when they were growing up in The Bronx.
For years, it was an inside joke between a handful of guys. But once Kai started mentioning rizz on his Twitch streams, the term blew up.
Users started spamming it in comment sections on social media. TikTokers posted their own rizz tutorials. Google searches for rizz reached an all-time high in April 2023, according to Google Trends. As of this writing, the tag "rizz" has gained more than 13 billion views on TikTok. During an episode of Up & Adams, there was an entire segment discussing NBA reporter Shams Charania’s reputation as a “Rizz God.”
Kai even held a lengthy Rizz Academy on Twitch, where he dressed up in a suit and gave tips to guys withno rizz. However, he isn’t happy with the Gen Z kids who took his term and ran with it.
“TikTok butchered that word,” he said on No Jumper. “They f****** killed it.”
Kai was mainly referring to the spinoff term “unspoken rizz,” which refers to someone so physically attractive they don’t have to rely on verbal communication to get the girl they’re after.
“That’s not really rizz,” Kai said, pointing out that rizz is all about wordplay and how you carry yourself around someone.
Do You Have Rizz?
To know whether you’ve got rizz, we have to go straight to the source. Here’s Kai Cent’s definition of rizz:
“Rizz is when you’re talking to a girl, and at first, shit is not going your way. It’s looking bad for you, until you spit game and you’re rizzing them up to where shit starts to go your way…You’re so slick with your words and what you’re saying, to where the girl is like, ‘OK, yeah, who is this?!’ After shit goes your way, you’re like, ‘Yeah, I rizzed her up. I’ve got mad rizz.’”
In other words, rizz is all about earning someone’s affection, especially when you go into a situation thinking you have no chance.
You Can’t Rizz Without a Clean Rear
Fellas, you can’t be out here trying to rizz up the ladies with a chapped, stinky, swamp ass. Freshness is the foundation of rizz, so make sure you conquer your body odor before you practice your pickup lines.
Kai, if you’re reading this, we’d be happy to hook you up with a shipment of DUDE Wipes in exchange for some rizz lessons.
