Who made 67 famous? Viral TikTok trend explained as Dictionary.com picks the slang as Word of the Year for 2025

Viral TikTok trend 67 has been recently selected as the Word of the Year by Dictionary.com. CBS News stated that the word emerged from Skrilla’s single Doot Doot (6 7), and it eventually started creating headlines on social media as it turned into a meme at one point.

The online dictionary’s latest decision was taken after shortlisting other terms associated with different fields, including artificial intelligence. The list featured Agentic, Aura farming, Gen Z stare, overtourism, tariff and tradwife.

While speaking to CBS News, Steve Johnson, the director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, discussed the significance of the term 67 and the reasons behind choosing it as the Word of the Year. He said that the way the term started spreading everywhere led to their decision.

Johnson also recalled that his friend had once used the same word while texting him. Notably, Steve’s friend had been a middle school teacher, which is how Johnson realized the popularity of the term. He explained the same by saying:

“This is really a new generation flexing their linguistic muscles and making a pretty phenomenal impact on the English language. That’s something to be celebrated and cheered.”

E! News obtained a press release from the website, which states that the term's meaning has been inconsistent, describing it as “meaningless, ubiquitous and nonsensical.” The press release also stated that the word remains an important part of everyone’s lives, as it says:

“It remains meaningful to the people who use it because of the connection it fosters. 67 shows the speed at which a new word can rocket around the world as a rising generation enters the global conversation.”

67 started going viral on social media earlier this year: Beginning of the trend and more explained

According to People magazine, NBA player LaMelo Ball’s name has also been linked to the viral trend due to his reported height, 6-foot-7. The term has been used for different reasons, including that people refer to their test scores, and also in basketball games.

As mentioned, the 67 trend was born out of Skrilla’s song Doot Doot (6 7). A portion of the lyrics says:

“The way that switch brrt, I know the dyin’ (Oh my, oh my God) 6-7, I just bopped right on the highway (Bip, bip) Skrrt, uh (Bip, bip, bip) I just bipped right on the highway (Bip) Trackhawk, mm, sittin’ in the driveway (Skrrt) Uh, pull up.”

The term has even become popular outside social media, and it is used in a funny tone. The word is even believed to be another word used for “so-so” and also refers to someone’s height in certain situations, specifically those who are tall.

In August, 67 was used in approximately 1.1 million TikTok videos. Some athletes became a part of the trend when they used it in clips with individuals displaying their jersey numbers. Skrilla’s song was originally released in February this year. However, a sound from the single reportedly went viral on TikTok towards the end of 2024, according to E! News.

Mr. Lindsay, who has gained recognition as a student translator on TikTok, has been the first person to use the phrase. The video of the same was posted the same month as Skrilla’s single release, and it features conversations between his students who have used the term while speaking to each other.

Meanwhile, Skrilla has not spoken about anything related to the viral trend emerging from the lyrics of his song.