Dictionary.com declares '6-7' Word of the Year

Whether a parent, teacher, youth pastor or an innocent bystander on a sidewalk, no one has been safe from the "6-7" Gen Alpha trend sweeping across America — a viral sensation that’s now been named Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year.

"Few slang terms have captured the cultural mood of 2025 quite like ‘6 7,’" said Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning. 

"It's part inside joke, part social signal and part performance. When people say it, they're not just repeating a meme; they're shouting a feeling. 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," Johnson continued. 

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The "6-7" meme originated from a song by rapper Skrilla, titled "Doot Doot (6 7)." The internet trend went viral after Charlotte Hornets' basketball point guard, LaMelo Ball, popularized the term, using it as a reference to his height.  (Getty Images)

The meme originated from a song by rapper Skrilla, titled "Doot Doot (6 7)." 

The internet trend went viral after Charlotte Hornets' basketball point guard, LaMelo Ball, popularized the term, using it as a reference to his height. 

A press release from Dictionary.com stated that the term "shows how seamlessly today’s slang blends digital humor, sports culture and generational creativity." 

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A double-digit combination set the social media sphere ablaze among teens 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 organization that unveiled the winning word -- pronounced "six-seven" and never "sixty-seven" -- admitted it was not exactly sure about its meaning.  ((Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP))

While the move may seem odd to some, the website reports that linguistic experts had data to back up their decision. 

"Dictionary.com’s lexicographers analyze extensive linguistic data, tracking which words dominate search trends, social media and digital conversations," their statement continued. "A Dictionary.com analysis found that ‘6 7’ appeared in digital media six times more frequently in October 2025 alone compared to the average usage in 2024." 

However, "6 7" wasn't the only term that the language resource decided to add into its lexicon. 

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The meme "6 7" has dominated Gen Alpha culture, including in classrooms across the country.  (Jeff Pachud/AFP via Getty Images)

Six other words – half of which were inspired by Gen Z and other social media slang — also made the cut this year. 

"Aura-farming," defined as "the deliberate cultivation of one's charisma, style or vibe, often for online attention or social clout," and the "Gen Z stare," "a blank or unbothered facial expression" typically associated with the age group, were also added. 

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Terms like "tradwife," "agentic," "overtourism," and "tariff" were also on the list of updates.