'6-7' named word of the year by Dictionary.com, and people are confused

Amelia Eqbal · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 30, 2025 4:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 30

It’s each implicit the internet, successful classrooms — and now, it’s the connection of the year.

On Wednesday, Dictionary.com announced “67” (also written arsenic "6-7" oregon "six-seven") arsenic its connection of the twelvemonth for 2025.

The enactment describes the word arsenic “classic brainrot slang” that is "purposefully nonsensical and each astir being successful connected the absurdity."

Put different way, "6-7" tin beryllium different mode of saying “so-so,” “maybe this, possibly that,” oregon adjacent saying, well, thing astatine all.

Often, radical volition outcry "6-7" with an accompanying raised-palms motion successful rowdy radical settings similar sporting events — oregon successful classrooms, arsenic of late, to the vexation of galore teachers.

In a quality release, the manager of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group, Steve Johnson, said it's "one of the archetypal words of the twelvemonth that works arsenic an interjection."

WATCH | Why kids are yelling '6-7' successful class:

The term’s nonstop root is unclear, though it is often traced backmost to the 2024 opus Doot Doot (6 7) by Skrilla, oregon to viral video edits of NBA subordinate LaMelo Ball, who is known successful portion for his tallness of six feet 7 inches.

The Dictionary.com announcement came arsenic a astonishment to galore online, who pointed retired however confusing it is to state what is arguably a number, oregon adjacent a meaningless phrase, arsenic the "word" of the year.

"ITS [sic] NOT EVEN A WORD," exclaimed 1 station connected X by @Zigzaglawyer with much than 297,000 likes.

"I tin consciousness myself crook into an aged man," wrote comedian Gianmarco Soresi connected X.

As for the reasoning down the decision, Johnson says the word is emblematic of the brainrot civilization that has permeated some the net and the existent world. "Few slang presumption person captured the taste temper of 2025 rather similar 67," said Johnson. "It's portion wrong joke, portion societal awesome and portion performance."

Across societal media, determination are videos of radical making handshakes that spell retired "6-7," teachers incorporating "6-7" into their lessons, creators making nutrient oregon works of creation successful the signifier of “6-7,” and a takeout edifice erupting successful cheers aft bid fig “6-7” is called. The word adjacent appeared successful a South Park occurrence earlier this month.

From a numbers perspective, the word rapidly gained popularity this year. According to Dictionary.com, "6-7" appeared successful integer media six times much often successful October 2025 unsocial versus the mean usage successful 2024. According to TikTok’s analytics, determination were much than 2 cardinal posts with the hashtag #67 uploaded successful the past year, with a marked spike successful usage implicit the past mates months.

Other words connected Dictionary.com’s shortlist for 2025 connection of the twelvemonth were “aura farming,” "Gen Z stare," "tariff" and "tradwife."