Dictionary.com on Wednesday announced “67” as its Word of the Year for 2025. The annual pick serves as a "linguistic time capsule, reflecting social trends and global events that defined the year," according to Dictionary.com.
The annual pick serves as a "linguistic time capsule, reflecting social trends and global events that defined the year," according to Dictionary.com.
The website explained that the term is a result of classic brainrot slang, which is "purposefully nonsensical and all about being in on the absurdity."
The term "67" -- pronounced "six-seven" and never "sixty-seven," the dictionary notes -- has a vast lore. It can be traced back to Skrilla's 2024 song "Doot Doot (6 7)," while others have linked it to NBA player LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
A boy now known as "The 67 Kid" also went viral earlier this year for using the term at a youth basketball game.
"It's part inside joke, part social signal and part performance," Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said in a press release. "When people say it, they're not just repeating a meme; they're shouting a feeling."
Johnson said, "It's one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection -- a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means."
Dictionary.com’s analysis found that the term “67” was mentioned in digital media six times more often in October than during the entire year of 2024.
The annual pick serves as a "linguistic time capsule, reflecting social trends and global events that defined the year," according to Dictionary.com.
The website explained that the term is a result of classic brainrot slang, which is "purposefully nonsensical and all about being in on the absurdity."
The term "67" -- pronounced "six-seven" and never "sixty-seven," the dictionary notes -- has a vast lore. It can be traced back to Skrilla's 2024 song "Doot Doot (6 7)," while others have linked it to NBA player LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
What does 67 mean?
The origin of the term remains uncertain. According to the dictionary, teachers and parents started noticing children and teenagers using it earlier this year, often to express something similar to “so-so,” “maybe this,” or “maybe that.”A boy now known as "The 67 Kid" also went viral earlier this year for using the term at a youth basketball game.
"It's part inside joke, part social signal and part performance," Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said in a press release. "When people say it, they're not just repeating a meme; they're shouting a feeling."
Johnson said, "It's one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection -- a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means."
Dictionary.com’s analysis found that the term “67” was mentioned in digital media six times more often in October than during the entire year of 2024.
