Skip to content

Nik  |  Unsplash

What are your favourite words for 2023?

Reading time: 6 minutes 

|

Every year, various online dictionaries and publishers as well as magazines such as The Economist choose one or more words that, in their view, “reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations” of a year, while also having “potential… lasting cultural significance” (OUP, cited in Schuessler). These words are supported by usage statistics and cross-referenced so as to understand how language has changed in that year. Some institutions (Oxford) also open their process to voting by the public.
 
Oxford’s word for 2023 was rizz. A truncation of charisma, it refers to style, charm, attractiveness, buzz or the ability to attract a romantic partner. It can also be a verb, as in to rizz it up. It emerged out of Internet and gaming culture, going viral in June 2023 after actor Tom Holland said, in an interview: “I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz” (cited in Schuessler). This led to a surge in memes. Clearly, Holland has plenty of rizz.
 
According to Casper Grathwohl of Oxford, its choice for 2023 reflects the way social media is quickening the pace of language change. Oxford’s annual search is based on usages from more than 22 billion words from across the English-speaking world. In 2022, goblin mode1 won out.
 
Oxford’s previous winners include vax (2021), unprecedented (2020), climate emergency (2019), toxic (2018), youthquake (2017)2, post-truth (2016), 😂 (2015), vape (2014), selfie (2013), omnishambles (UK)3 and GIF (U.S.) (2012), squeezed middle (2011)4, simples (UK)5 and unfriend (U.S.) (2009), credit crunch (UK) and hypermiling (U.S.) (2008)6, carbon footprint (UK) and locavore (U.S.) (2007)7, bovvered (UK)8 and carbon-neutral (U.S.) (2006), and Sudoku (UK) and podcast (U.S.) (2005). Some Oxford words for 2023 (de-influencing9) relate to celebrity culture, others (beige flag10) to personal characteristics, to the changing world (prompt; heat dome11) or to relationships (parasocial12; situationship13), while Swiftie illustrates how fanalects can take hold. For 2023, Cambridge dictionary chose hallucinate, relating to generative AI’s capability to produce false information and presenting it as fact. In 2022, it picked homer14.
 
For 2023, Collins chose AI; on its shortlist were bazball15, de-influencing, nepo baby16, ultraprocessed17, canon event18, de-banking19, greedflation20, semaglutide21 and ULEZ22. Collins’s words for previous years were permacrisis (2022)23, NFT (2021)24, lockdown (2020), climate strike (2019)25, single-use (2018), fake news (2017), Brexit (2016), binge-watch (2015), photobomb (2014) and geek (2013).
 
According to Merriam-Webster, words that defined 2023 included authentic, deepfake, coronation (apropos Prince Charles becoming Charles III), dystopian, EGOT26, implode (after the OceanGate submersible tragedy), doppelgänger (a lookalike), covenant, indict, elemental (apropos the Pixar film Elemental), kibbutz and deadname27. Its words for previous years were authentic (2023), gaslighting (2022), vaccine (2021), pandemic (2020), they (2019), justice (2018), feminism (2017), surreal (2016), -ism (2015), culture (2014), science (2013), socialism, capitalism (2012), pragmatic (2011), austerity (2010), admonish (2009), bailout (2008), w00t! (2007)28, truthiness (2006)29, integrity (2005), blog (2004) and democracy (2003).
 
The Economist declared ChatGPT, which was launched by OpenAI in November 2022, its global word for 2023. When Ludwig Kalambacal asked the chatbot for its reaction to being chosen, it stated: “It’s noteworthy that ‘ChatGPT’ being The Economist’s word of the year likely signifies the increasing significance and influence of conversational AI, highlighting its impact on communication, technology, and potentially broader societal changes”.
 
Every year, before naming The Economist’s choice, Johnson (the pseudonym of one or more correspondents named after the dictionary-maker Samuel Johnson), asks what colleagues in different fields and countries are talking about; this “is a salutary reminder that the world is much bigger than the English language and that, even in largely English-speaking countries, the stock of words is constantly being refreshed by the languages with which English makes contact”. The magazine’s senior Africa correspondent suggested coup – there had been two successful ones in the continent in 2023. They also suggested the Yoruba verb japa, used in Nigeria to describe making a quick escape from a precarious situation. It now also means escape from Nigeria, which is plagued by misgovernance.
 
I hope your 2023 was as full of rizz as Tom Holland’s.

1 goblin mode = the hedonistic rejection of societal expectations without concern for one’s self-image; raw, unfiltered, real; behaving shamelessly and indulgently for instance by consuming junk food, watching reality shows or acting wild.
2 youthquake = a shift in society or culture in response to its younger members’ activities, tastes or mores; looking to youth culture for inspiration.
3 omnishambles = a situation that has resulted in disorder or chaos, with potentially disastrous consequences, because terrible mistakes have been made owing to poor judgement.
4 squeezed middle = persons whose incomes are too low to maintain them comfortably.
5 simples = free from guile, vanity, ostentation or display; of humble origin or modest position; lacking in knowledge, expertise, mental acuteness or sense; innocent, unsophisticated, naïve, simpleminded.
6 hypermiling = driving a car or flying vehicle with techniques that maximise fuel efficiency.
7 locavore = a person who only eats food that is grown or prepared in the local area.
8 bovvered = angry or embarrassed, as made famous by Catherine Tate as the character Lauren Cooper; rowdiness, especially caused by gangs of teenage youths.
9 de-influencing = discouraging people from buying particular products, or encouraging people to reduce their consumption generally.
10 beige flag = weird, endearing or quirky habits, traits or behaviours in a date or partner that are neither a red flag nor a green flag; dull or stock responses on someone’s dating profile; the suggestion that someone is boring.
11 a heat dome occurs when atmosphere traps hot ocean air, as if by a lid or cap, when strong high-pressure atmospheric conditions remain stationary for a long time, preventing convection and precipitation, and keeping hot air trapped in an area. This can have multiple causes, including sea surface temperature anomalies and La Niña’s influence.
12 a parasocial interaction can develop into a parasocial relationship after a media user’s repeated exposure to a media personage or a character in a film or TV series, causing them to develop illusions of intimacy, friendship and identification.
13 a situationship is more than a friendship and less than a committed relationship. It may be based on convenience or short-term circumstances. It can become problematic if there are different expectations or if the power dynamic is unequal.
14 homer = U.S. English for a home run in baseball.
15 bazball = the English cricket team’s aggressive style of play in test matches after the appointments of Brendon McCullum (nickname Baz) as test head coach and Ben Stokes as test captain in 2022. It reflects a win-at-all-costs cricket, involving batting with no fear, playing ambitious shots and racking up runs quickly, taking wickets, no negative chat, praise for little things, freedom of expression and an embracing of fun.
16 nepo (short for nepotism) baby = the child of a notable, famous, powerful or successful person (e.g. a celebrity or politician) who benefited from the status of their parent(s). In contrast to earning a role or making a career solely on one’s merits.
17 ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are industrially formulated edible substances derived from natural food or synthesised from other organic compounds. They are designed to be highly profitable, convenient and hyperpalatable (but less nutritious), often through additives such as salts, colourings, flavourings and preservatives that add no nutritional value. They may include cheese curls, snack cakes, biscuits, pastries, buns, cakes, industrial chips, chicken nuggets, sodas and frozen dinners. The rule of thumb is that the more processed a food is, the greater the health risks it poses. NOVA classifies all foods into four groups: 1) unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 2) processed culinary ingredients, 3) processed foods and 4) UPFs. It is recommended that one limit UPFs so as to help prevent or treat obesity. Some websites list UPFs to avoid as well as ‘healthier swaps’.
18 canon event = an event that was essential or unavoidable to the formation of someone’s character or identity. The canon concept has ties to anime and superhero stories, for instance, Peter Parker in the Spider-Man and Spider-Verse stories. Some creators are sharing examples from their own lives and are urging others to not interfere with someone else’s canon events. Its tone of use is sometimes is bittersweet, sometimes comical in the acknowledgement of the impacts of weird phases on one’s life.
19 de-banking (also known in banking as de-risking) = the closure of persons’ or organisations’ bank accounts by banks who perceive account holders as posing a financial, legal, regulatory and/or reputational risk to the bank. It may also lead to new account applicants being turned down. Examples include the enforcement of anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws, and the closing of bank accounts of sex workers and politically exposed persons. The closure of accounts is generally done without providing a reason and without the prospect of appeal. De-banking can impact on individuals, as it cuts them off from many activities in society. In 2023, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) disclosed that some banks had closed a number of accounts owing to the ways clients had acted toward their staff. It also said it would look at the politically exposed person regime, which requires UK banks to apply enhanced scrutiny of politicians’ transactions. While the law prohibits banks and building societies from discriminating against personal account customers based on their lawfully expressed political views, stories have proliferated about people whose accounts were closed or denied – from a parental rights group to those from religious minorities, shooting associations and defence companies. The assumption that every person or business should be able to get the account of their choice does not hold. While UK businesses, charities and their trustees as well as political parties seem more likely to have accounts closed or refused than individuals, they have no legal right to an account; only the UK’s government and parliament can change that. While some banks have long declined accounts to businesses that conflict with their company’s policies, reputational criteria should not be stretched too far. According to the FCA, financial crime and banks’ tolerance for risk are the main causes of the closure of active accounts; further, expatriate Britons do not enjoy the same protections as UK residents. Other countries face very similar challenges. For instance, there is a discussion in the U.S. about how to ensure that financial crime controls don’t impede on access to services.
20 greedflation (from greed + inflation) = price-gouging by corporations during an inflationary period, especially when the underlying costs of production (e.g. materials, labour) have in fact not risen accordingly; the use of inflation as an excuse to raise prices to artificially high levels in order to drive up profit margins.
21 semaglutide = a prescription drug (brand names Rybelsus, Ozempic) used for weight loss in specific patients, and to lower blood-sugar levels and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke in type 2 diabetes patients. It is sometimes used for long-term weight management together with diet and exercise.
22 ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) is London’s transport scheme, which aims to reduce air pollution and clean the city’s air. It costs drivers who drive into London if their vehicle does not meet ULEZ standards. The scheme has been expanded to the outer edge of Greater London, but has caused divided opinion and protests.
23 permacrisis = a situation characterised by constant, significant turmoil, insecurity and/or instability across a society, caused by ongoing events such as war, economic recession, a pandemic, etc. One of a handful of words relating to the challenges posed among others by climate change, it is born out of the existential concern about the world that the younger generations are inheriting.
24 an NFT (non-fungible token) is a digital certificate of ownership of a unique asset, such as an artwork or something considered to be collectible.
25 climate strike = a form of protest in which people absent themselves from education or work to join demonstrations demanding actions to counter climate change.
26 EGOT = an actor or entertainer who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.
27 deadname = what some transgender persons call their birth name after transitioning.
28 w00t! or woot! = an interjection to express victory, happiness, joy, delight or excitement; it is usually used in online or social media conversations, often by gamers and hackers; similar to woohoo!
29 truthiness = the belief or assertion that a statement is true based on one’s intuition, opinion or perception, without regard to factual or logical evidence; since we often cannot distinguish correct from incorrect claims without checking, examples of this fallacy look just like examples of good reasoning. It originated in the 19th century but was revived by the U.S. humourist Stephen Colbert.

Sources

Jennifer Schuessler: Oxford’s 2023 word of the year is … ‘rizz’. 3 December 2023.
Oxford University Press: Oxford word of the year.
Matthew Cantor: Hallucinate, AI, authenticity: dictionaries’ words of the year make our biggest fears clear. 5 December 2023.
Merriam-Webster: Word of the year 2023. 27 November 2023.
Ludwig Kalambacal: ChatGPT: The Economist’s 2023 word of the year. 11 December 2023.
Johnson: Our word of the year for 2023. 7 December 2023.
Lianne Kolirin: Merriam-Webster’s 2023 word of the year is the real deal. 27 November 2023.
Collins English Dictionary: Word of the year.