pixelated

adjective

pix·​e·​lat·​ed ˈpik-sə-ˌlā-təd 

of an image

: displayed in such a manner that individual pixels are discernible

Did you know?

Is it pixelated or pixilated?

Pixelated is used to describe digital images in which individual pixels are discernable, as when you look closely at a large photo and can see the tiny dots that make up the image. Pixilated (coined from pixie, a pixie being a cheerful, mischievous sprite) is usually used to describe things considered whimsical, or people who seem dazed or lost in thought. While pixelated is a late 20th century coinage, pixilated has been in use since the mid-19th century.

Examples of pixelated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Improved lighting techniques in the perpetually dark Raccoon City police station made for a vastly scarier and immersive atmosphere than the pixelated haze of before. —George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025

With low-rise jeans, butterfly clips, flip phones, pixelated graphics, MySpace-style filters and early-2000s pop anthems resurfacing on TikTok, the early internet era is being reimagined and embraced as a time of optimism and playfulness. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Once appearing as crude, pixelated blobs that may or may not actually resemble the real-life counterpart, today’s virtual footwear has become one of the most detailed elements in the entire game. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025

The cast was confirmed in a Sept. 4 social media post sharing the project's first poster, which arrays the ensemble with pixelated photos that evoke the game's 16-bit origins. —Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

pixel + -ated (after pixilated)

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pixelated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated