Dictionary.com named “6-7” its word of the year for 2025 — and the internet has had mixed feelings about it ever since. The expression, which is technically two numbers rather than a word, went viral among people under 20 while leaving everyone else thoroughly confused. That confusion, it turns out, is part of the appeal.
Where did “6-7” come from?
The earliest traceable origin is a song. In December 2024, Philadelphia rapper Skrilla released Doot Doot (6 7), which references the phrase in its lyrics — without explaining what it means. The video has racked up nearly nine million views on YouTube.
But the moment that truly launched the phenomenon happened a few weeks later. A young man named Kinney was filmed rating his Starbucks drink. Instead of giving a number from one to ten, he paused, furrowed his brow, made a gesture with both hands — palms up, moving alternately as if weighing two options — and said: “six, seven.” His friends burst out laughing. The clip went viral almost instantly.
So what does it actually mean?
That’s exactly the question millions of people typed into Google. According to Dictionary.com, searches for the term surged 600% over two months — mostly from baffled parents and teachers.
The platform itself struggles to pin down a definition: “Some say it means approximately, or neither one thing nor another, especially when accompanied by a characteristic hand gesture where both palms face upward and move alternately up and down. Some young people, sensing an opportunity to annoy their elders, use it as a response to nearly any question.”
Other theories suggest “6-7” refers to the street where Skrilla grew up in Philadelphia, or to the U.S. police code 10-67, used to communicate deaths. Neither version has been confirmed.
Why did it spread so fast?
It’s a textbook case of how the internet turns something with no fixed meaning into culture. The ambiguity is the feature, not the bug: “6-7” can mean almost anything, which makes it endlessly adaptable. It also has the added appeal of confusing adults — which, among teenagers, is a feature in itself.
The term has already jumped off the screen: some schools have banned it for disrupting class, an energy drink brand launched a product under the “6-7” name, and Dictionary.com officially recognized it as the linguistic term that best captured the spirit of 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What does “6-7” mean?
It has no fixed meaning. It is often used as “so-so” or “neither one thing nor the other”, with a palms-up gesture, and often just to confuse adults.
Where does “6-7” come from?
From the song Doot Doot (6 7) by rapper Skrilla, released in December 2024, and a viral clip of a teenager rating his drink “six, seven”.
Who named “6-7” word of the year?
Dictionary.com named it its word of the year for 2025.
