Word Of The Year 2025: Dictionary.com Picks '67' — Here's Why And What It Means

The 2025 Word of the Year is not a word at all. Dictionary.com has named "67" as the defining expression of the year. This viral and meaningless number somehow managed to capture the collective chaos of the internet. It is part song lyric, part social media chant and part generational inside joke.

The number has been shouted in classrooms, echoed in TikToks and even used by teachers to get students’ attention. Nobody can quite explain why "67" matters, and that is precisely why it does.

According to Dictionary.com, "if you're the parent of a school-aged child, you might be feeling a familiar vexation at the sight of these two formerly innocuous numerals." For members of Gen Alpha, "67," pronounced "six seven," not "sixty-seven," represents an inside code, and for everyone else, it's a reminder of how language now evolves at viral speed.

To select the 2025 Word of the Year, Dictionary.com’s lexicographers analysed extensive data, including newsworthy headlines, social media trends and search engine results. Their goal was to identify words that shaped conversations both online and offline.

Searches for "67" began rising sharply in the summer of 2025. Since June 2025, "those searches have increased more than sixfold, and so far the surge shows no signs of stopping," stated Dictionary.com. Most other two-digit numbers had no comparable trend during this period, implying that "something special" was at play.

The origin of this modern usage of "67" is believed to trace back to the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by Skrilla. Variations such as 6 7, 6-7, or six-seven are all used interchangeably, though, as Dictionary.com states, "the most important thing is to never pronounce it as 'sixty-seven.'"

Its popularity was fuelled by viral TikToks featuring basketball players and a young boy who became known as the "67 Kid." Within weeks, teachers were sharing tips online on how to get students to stop saying "67" all day long.

Dictionary.com says, "it's complicated." Some interpret it as meaning "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that," particularly when accompanied by its signature hand gesture, where both palms face up and move alternately up and down, the Dictionary.com definition says. Others use "67" as an all-purpose response to confuse or amuse adults.

Perhaps the most defining feature of "67" is that it cannot be clearly defined. It is "meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical," the perfect reflection of what Dictionary.com calls "brainrot."

It reflects what happens when people spend too much time online, endlessly scrolling and taking in content created and shared by algorithms. Yet, for those who use it, the number holds meaning because it helps them feel connected, says Dictionary.com. It shows how quickly a new form of expression can travel around the globe as a rising generation joins the conversation.