‘6-7’ named Word of the Year, but what does it even mean?

A student known online as the “Mason 6-7 Kid” reacts during a viral basketball-game video that helped popularize the phrase “6-7,” recently named Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year. Photo:

On Wednesday, Dictionary.com named the slang phrase “6-7” (pronounced “six-seven,” not “sixty-seven”) as its 2025 Word of the Year, highlighting its rapid rise in online usage and cultural relevance.

What does it mean?

In short, nobody knows for sure. The phrase seems to function as a playful, ironic interjection, often accompanied by a shrug gesture, conveying a meaning similar to “so-so,” “maybe,” or “mid.”

As one librarian stated online, “The point of ‘6-7’ is that there is no point.”

Where did it come from?

The phrase first emerged in December 2024, when basketball player Taylen Kinney and his teammates were filmed at an airport rating their coffee drinks as a “six-seven.” Around the same time, Philadelphia rapper Squealer released the song “Doot Doot,” which features the repeated phrase “six-seven.” Some listeners speculated that it referenced the police code 10-67, which in some jurisdictions means “investigate a death,” though police codes can vary by agency.

The expression gained further traction in early 2025 after a viral video known as the “Mason 6-7 Kid” showed a student in a basketball crowd enthusiastically repeating the phrase while performing a hand motion. Since then, middle school students across the country have embraced “6-7” in classrooms and on playgrounds as an inside joke, a meaningless gesture signaling a sense of belonging.

The phrase has also appeared in highlight reels featuring Charlotte Hornets player LaMelo Ball, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, contributing to its appeal in sports culture.

Why is it significant?

Dictionary.com’s selection of “6 7” as Word of the Year illustrates how language is evolving — not because a word reflects a political moment, but because a viral numeric phrase has resonated within youth culture and digital spaces.

Linguists observe that youth slang often experiences rapid rises and falls, spreading through music, sports, and social media before fading just as quickly. Whether “6-7” reflects creative wordplay or what some call “brain rot humor,” its selection as Word of the Year highlights how digital culture continues to reshape language, one seemingly meaningless meme at a time.