variants
or less commonly pixy
plural pixies
1
: fairy
specifically
: a cheerful mischievous sprite
2
: a usually petite vivacious woman or girl
3
or pixie cut
: a haircut worn by women and children that is very short all over the head or especially short only at the sides and back of the head
Princess Diana's pixie cut became completely iconic, and almost as famous as the princess herself, inspiring many generations since to try the elegant look.—
Isobel Larkin
Isobel Larkin
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 pixie in a Sentence
Noun
leave a dish of milk and some bread out for the pixies
Adjective
resorted to some pixie high jinks to liven up the office party
Recent Examples on the Web
Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
The dark brown pixie cut wasn't the only interesting beauty moment from the campaign — Zendaya completed the sci-fi look with prosthetic, elf-like ears — similar to those seen on Star Trek's Vulcans — to add an extraterrestrial twist to the shoot.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 30 Mar. 2023
The cute little 4-year-old boldly shouted when someone asked her where pixie dust comes from.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for pixie
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga Debuting a new pixie cut, Nicole Kidman’s only nod to the evening’s theme seemed to be the black hue of her gown, which nonetheless was a stunner on the carpet.
—Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
The dark brown pixie cut wasn't the only interesting beauty moment from the campaign — Zendaya completed the sci-fi look with prosthetic, elf-like ears — similar to those seen on Star Trek's Vulcans — to add an extraterrestrial twist to the shoot.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
But in a new post added to Instagram, Mayim decided to make a more dramatic and permanent switch to her hairstyle by chopping it off into a semi-pixie cut.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 30 Mar. 2023
The cute little 4-year-old boldly shouted when someone asked her where pixie dust comes from.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for pixie
Cite this Entry
“Pixie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pixie. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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