Dictionary.com has finally unveiled its Word of the Year—and even your Gen Z friend might not know what it means.
Photo: Unsplash
On October 28, Dictionary.com revealed that the word of the year is “67,” a mysterious slang term that has taken over Generation Alpha.
“Searches for 67 experienced a dramatic rise beginning in the summer of 2025. Since June, those searches have increased more than sixfold, and so far the surge shows no signs of stopping. Most other two-digit numbers had no meaningful trend over that period, implying that there is something special about 67,” it wrote.
The term “67,” which is pronounced “six-seven” and not “sixty-seven,” can be traced back to Skrilla’s song “Doot Doot (67)” or to NBA player LaMelo Ball, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall. There’s also a boy on TikTok referred to as the “67 Kid,” known for using the slang at a youth basketball game.
However, the slang’s exact origin remains unclear. Once the term went viral on social media, young kids and teenagers began using it repeatedly to confuse older generations, to the point where teachers reportedly reprimanded students or even banned the word in schools for its excessive use.
The online dictionary noted that their annual pick serves as a “linguistic time capsule” that reflects global and social trends, as well as events that shape the way people communicate and connect.
“It’s meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical. In other words, it has all the hallmarks of brainrot. It’s the logical endpoint of being perpetually online, scrolling endlessly, consuming content fed to users by algorithms trained by other algorithms. And what are we left with in the wake of this relentless sensory overload? 67,” it wrote.
“Still, it remains meaningful to the people who use it because of the connection it fosters. 67 shows the speed at which a new word can rocket around the world as a rising generation enters the global conversation,” it added.
Among the popular words that made it to Dictionary.com’s shortlist are aura farming, clanker, and tradwife, among others.
In 2024, Dictionary.com’s word of the year was “demure.”
ALSO READ: Collins Dictionary Names Word of The Year for 2024
What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments!
