Number “67” Named Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year

Dictionary.com has selected the numeric expression “67” as its 2025 Word of the Year, highlighting a piece of youth slang that gained remarkable traction over the past 12 months. The announcement was made on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, positioning the two-digit term as the leading linguistic emblem of the year.

The online reference site describes its annual choice as a linguistic time capsule meant to capture social currents and global events. In 2025, the editors concluded that no other expression travelled faster or entered more conversations than “67,” a sequence now recognized for its flexible, if deliberately ambiguous, meaning.

Teachers, parents and content moderators first noticed the expression early in the year, often hearing it from children and teenagers both online and in face-to-face settings. Users employ “67”—pronounced “six-seven,” not “sixty-seven”—to indicate uncertainty, moderate enthusiasm or a “maybe/maybe not” stance. Dictionary.com links the phenomenon to so-called “brainrot” slang, a style of language that thrives on playful nonsense and the communal pleasure of being in on an inside joke.

Tracing the full genealogy of the term is difficult, yet several pop-culture touchpoints stand out. Hip-hop artist Skrilla included the phrase in the 2024 track “Doot Doot (6 7),” giving it an early musical boost. Sports fans, meanwhile, associate the number with NBA guard LaMelo Ball, whose height—6 feet, 7 inches—matches the digits. The expression also went viral at a youth basketball tournament when a spectator dubbed “The 67 Kid” repeatedly shouted the phrase, racking up millions of views on social media platforms.

According to Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, “67” operates as an interjection more than a conventional noun or verb. Johnson argues that its value lies in the burst of energy it conveys, allowing speakers to broadcast emotion without committing to a precise statement. Because the meaning shifts with context, uttering the number serves as a social signal as much as a verbalized thought.

Internal data compiled by Dictionary.com illustrate the expression’s rapid ascent. Mentions of “67” in digital media appeared six times more frequently during October 2025 than in all of 2024 combined, underscoring the speed at which Generation Alpha and younger members of Generation Z can propel new vocabulary into mainstream use. Linguists often track such spikes to study how phrases leap from niche communities into global discourse, a process explored extensively by Oxford Languages in its annual reporting on emergent words for other English dictionaries.

Imagem: Internet

Pronunciation remains a critical detail. Editors stress that speakers say “six-seven” rather than “sixty-seven,” a distinction that helps separate the slang from a routine reading of the number. The clipped pronunciation functions as a kind of verbal branding, immediately signaling to in-the-know listeners that the reference is cultural rather than numerical.

While “67” secured top honors, several other contenders made Dictionary.com’s 2025 shortlist. Finalists included “agnetic,” “aura farming,” “Gen Z stare,” “overtourism,” “tariff” and “tradwife.” Each term reflects economic, generational or cultural talking points that dominated headlines and timelines throughout the year, though none matched the viral momentum of the winning entry.

By elevating a two-digit interjection, Dictionary.com reinforces the idea that modern English continues to evolve at the intersection of internet culture, music and sports. The organization plans to monitor usage trends over the coming months to see whether “67” endures or yields to the next linguistic wave.

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