Dictionary.com's 2025 Word of the Year is an Exercise in Defiance
The website's choice of "Six-seven" – a phrase consisting of two numbers that have been merged into a new, nonsensical term – as its word of the year may seem like a joke to some. However, it's actually a reflection of our increasingly bizarre cultural landscape.
While the definition of the term remains unclear, one thing is certain: "Six-seven" has seen an unprecedented surge in usage. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase has appeared in digital media six times more frequently in October 2025 than it did in any month of 2024. This spike in popularity suggests that "Six-seven" has become a cultural phenomenon that captures the zeitgeist of our age.
Dr. Steve Johnson, Director of Lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, calls "Six-seven" a modern shibboleth – a term used to describe language or behavior that defines a particular group or community. In this case, the phrase has become an interjection, a burst of energy that spreads and connects people. It's not just about repeating a meme; it's about expressing a feeling.
However, one can't help but feel that Dictionary.com is using "Six-seven" as a cheap trick to generate attention. The website's shortlist for other contenders – including "agentic," "clanker," "broligarchy," and "tariff" – suggests that these words are more substantial and meaningful than the chosen word of the year.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether "Six-seven" will have any lasting impact. It may become a fleeting trend or a linguistic novelty that fades into obscurity. Nevertheless, by choosing this term as its word of the year, Dictionary.com has certainly captured a moment – and won the headlines and SEO attention that come with it.
The website's choice of "Six-seven" – a phrase consisting of two numbers that have been merged into a new, nonsensical term – as its word of the year may seem like a joke to some. However, it's actually a reflection of our increasingly bizarre cultural landscape.
While the definition of the term remains unclear, one thing is certain: "Six-seven" has seen an unprecedented surge in usage. According to Dictionary.com, the phrase has appeared in digital media six times more frequently in October 2025 than it did in any month of 2024. This spike in popularity suggests that "Six-seven" has become a cultural phenomenon that captures the zeitgeist of our age.
Dr. Steve Johnson, Director of Lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, calls "Six-seven" a modern shibboleth – a term used to describe language or behavior that defines a particular group or community. In this case, the phrase has become an interjection, a burst of energy that spreads and connects people. It's not just about repeating a meme; it's about expressing a feeling.
However, one can't help but feel that Dictionary.com is using "Six-seven" as a cheap trick to generate attention. The website's shortlist for other contenders – including "agentic," "clanker," "broligarchy," and "tariff" – suggests that these words are more substantial and meaningful than the chosen word of the year.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether "Six-seven" will have any lasting impact. It may become a fleeting trend or a linguistic novelty that fades into obscurity. Nevertheless, by choosing this term as its word of the year, Dictionary.com has certainly captured a moment – and won the headlines and SEO attention that come with it.
i mean idc how many times it got searched in october 2025 but like who came up with this term?? its just 6 and 7 strung together like a random joke 
and im not mad at dictionary.com for playing along but come on thats not exactly the most meaningful word of the year lol
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"Six-seven" is like... ummm... *sips coffee* 
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loop] Will this word be around forever? Who knows... 
Dictionary com trying 4 clicks & views, but I think they're just trolling us with this one... "Six-seven" is like a meme in itself. It's not even a real word, so it's prob just a marketing gimmick. They could've gone w/ something actualy meaningfull like "agentic" or "broligarchy". Tariff tho, thats a good one 
? It feels like they're trying to be cool or something instead of actually choosing words that matter. I don't know about the others on the list, but if I had to pick one, I'd say "clanker" has some real depth to it 
. And what's up with this whole shibboleth thing? Is our language just becoming more and more fragmented into different groups or something? 
I mean, isn't this just great? Our language is literally falling apart and Dictionary.com is like "Hey let's make a joke out of it" 
Not exactly the most inspiring news for linguaphiles or anyone who cares about language at all 
anyway im excited to see how people are using it now lol maybe its gonna be like a meme or something 