’67’ is officially 2025’s word of the year, but what on earth does it actually mean?!

If you’ve heard teenagers randomly yelling “67” this year and you’ve got no idea what the actual meaning is — you might be surprised to know it’s just been named the 2025 word of the year.

Dictionary.com announced on Wednesday that the slang term “67” has been chosen for the honor, which is meant to reflect “the stories we tell about ourselves and how we’ve changed over the year”, according to the website’s news release. It seems like a very poetic way of describing a phrase that… literally started as a rap lyric about a tall guy.

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@khaled1112322022 THE “6–7” MEME KID THAT STARTED IT ALL 😭🏀 #67Kid #Basketball #67 . . The internet has seen thousands of memes… but few have had the staying power and absurdity of the “6–7” basketball kid. Today, we’re throwing it all the way back with the original video that gave birth to the legendary meme that took over TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and now YouTube Shorts. This moment — a kid at a basketball game, being asked for his height and saying “6’7” with complete deadpan seriousness — became one of the most iconic, aura-rich moments in modern meme history. From Aura Farming lore to NPC compilations, this clip is the Rosetta Stone of meme energy. The delivery, the look, the vibes — everything about this moment feels like it was blessed by the meme gods. It spawned countless remixes, voiceovers, parodies, and compilations of fake flexes, unearned confidence, and peak rizzless aura. It’s been referenced in basketball edits, TikTok stitches, and even branded content. We’re talking about a core memory of the Meme Multiverse. This is where the “he’s not 6’7” but he believes he is energy began. It’s the intersection of NPC behavior, rizz delusion, and high school gymnasium chaos — a true cultural artifact. If you’re new here, welcome to the Auraverse. If you’re an OG, you already know this is part of the generational meme debt that reshaped internet humor. This is more than a clip — it’s a timestamp in meme evolution, forever etched in the algorithm. Drop a like, comment if you remember this going viral, and subscribe for more Internet Lore Originals, Aura Farming Rankings, and Top 7 Aura Fail Moments. We’re just getting started. — 🏷️ COPY-PASTE HASHTAGS (Comma-Separated) #67 #67kid ♬ الصوت الأصلي – km7

The term comes from Skrilla’s track “Doot Doot (67)”, released in December 2024, which references a 6’7 basketball player. The line “The way that switch, I know he dyin’. 6-7 / I just bipped right on the highway,” blew up on TikTok soon after, thanks to edits featuring LaMelo Ball, who, conveniently, is 6’7”.

From there, “ 67” stopped being about height and morphed into an inside joke among Gen Alpha, who have turned it into a call-and-response joke. Basically, someone shouts “six”, others yell “seven”, and everyone does a weird little “juggling” hand motion that no one can properly explain but everyone somehow understands.

Soon, people started replying to all kinds of random questions with the number “67”. For example: “What’s your favorite color?” — “67”. It basically has no real meaning anymore.

@genius we got one thing to say… 6 7 @Skrilla has taken over social media with his viral smash hit “Doot Doot 6 7”. 🎶 the philly rapper came through to #verified to dissect the lyrics off his hit song. 🔥👏 #genius #skrilla #dootdoot67 #67 #hiphop #rap #lyrics #viralmusic #philadelphia #raptok #dootdoot #sixseven #music ♬ original sound – Genius

Steve Johnson, who runs lexicography at Dictionary Media Group, said in a statement that “67” works differently from most slang.

“When people say it, they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re shouting a feeling,” he said. “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.”

Basically, it’s vibes-only communication.

Of course, not everyone’s vibing. Teachers are apparently losing their minds over how often kids are yelling “67” during class. Some schools have even started handing out punishments for saying it.

“I’ve been teaching for 20 years and I’ve dealt with all sorts of slang — nothing has driven me crazier than this one,” said Michigan teacher Adria Laplander to Today.

So, to sum it up: “67” means everything and nothing at the same time.