A double-digit combination set the social media sphere ablaze among Gen-Z in 2025, leaving parents and teachers befuddled – and now it has officially been crowned Dictionary.com’s “Word of the Year”: 67. But even the organisation that unveiled the winning word – pronounced “six-seven” and never “sixty-seven” – admitted it was not exactly sure about its meaning.
“You might be feeling a familiar vexation at the sight of these two formerly innocuous numerals,” Dictionary.com said, addressing parents as it announced the winner this week.
For many adults, “six-seven” might sound meaningless. But among younger generations, particularly Gen Alpha, it has become a viral emblem of online culture — a blend of irony, connection, and in-joke energy that defines how people communicate today.
Members of Gen Alpha, it added, might be “smirking at the thought of adults once again struggling to make sense of your notoriously slippery slang”. Dictionary.com said the origin of the word might be traced to ‘Doot Doot (6 7)’, a song by the US rapper Skrilla.
The use of the word went viral in schools and on social media this year. It can be taken to mean a variety of things, with context, tone and absurdity all playing a role in determining its definition in the moment. “67” beat out some stiff competition from other words that were short-listed for “Word of the Year”. These included “broligarchy”, “Gen Z stare”, and an entry from the world of emoticons – the dynamite emoji.
