pixie

noun pix·ie \ ˈpik-sē \

variants: or less commonly pixy

Definition of pixie

plural pixies

1 :fairy; specifically :a cheerful mischievous sprite

2 :a usually petite vivacious woman or girl

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pixieish

play \ˈpik-sē-ish\ adjective

See pixie defined for English-language learners

See pixie defined for kids

Examples of pixie in a Sentence

leave a dish of milk and some bread out for the pixies

Recent Examples of pixie from the Web

Adult/child pairs will work together to create one fairy-sized outdoor container garden sure to entice any pixies (or miniature dinosaurs) wandering through your neighborhood.

— idahostatesman, "What are the best plants in Idaho for a fall garden?," 30 Aug. 2017
The trendlet Unlike her spiky fraternal twin, this subdued pixie is clean, tapered, and mature.

— elizabeth wellington, Philly.com, "This summer's pixie is grown up and cuter than ever," 18 Aug. 2017
The name combined letters from Pierre’s and Alexis’s first names, but also evoked the charm and mystery of the pixies of folkloric legend.

— tom sancton, Vanities, "These Thousand-Dollar Toys Are Not Just for Kids," 17 Aug. 2017
The name combined letters from Pierre’s and Alexis’s first names, but also evoked the charm and mystery of the pixies of folkloric legend.

— tom sancton, Vanities, "These Thousand-Dollar Toys Are Not Just for Kids," 17 Aug. 2017
Her hands are sheathed by sheer polka-dot gloves, and her black pixie crop is covered by a fascinator.

— elizabeth paton, New York Times, "Bella Hadid, a Covered-Up Cover Star for Vogue Arabia," 14 Aug. 2017
Actress and breast cancer survivor Shannen Doherty just showed off her growing pixie cut on Instagram Tuesday, and is now back at work filming her new Paramount Network series, Heathers, after fighting a two-year long battle with the disease.

— kaitlyn frey, PEOPLE.com, "Shannen Doherty Wears Long Black Wig As She Gets Back to Work After Cancer Battle," 9 Aug. 2017
The name combined letters from Pierre’s and Alexis’s first names, but also evoked the charm and mystery of the pixies of folkloric legend.

— tom sancton, vanityfair.com, "These Thousand-Dollar Toys Are Not Just for Kids," 8 Aug. 2017
Her blonde pixie cut and earthy-toned makeup keep the focus on celebrating her sophisticated yet edgy interpretation of rocking the latest Tiffany HardWear designs and Return to Tiffany pendant necklace.

— nicole saunders, Billboard, "Janelle Monáe, Zoë Kravitz, & St. Vincent Star in Tiffany & Co.'s Fall '17 Campaign: Watch," 28 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pixie.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pixie

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1636

See Words from the same year

pixie Synonyms

Synonyms

brownie, dwarf, elf, faerie (also faery), fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin, kobold, leprechaun, fairy (also pixy), puck, sprite, troll

Related Words

little people; kelpie, nixie; changeling; imp; banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

pixie

adjective

variants: or less commonly pixy

Definition of pixie

:playfully mischievous

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pixiness

noun

Examples of pixie in a Sentence

resorted to some pixie high jinks to liven up the office party

Recent Examples of pixie from the Web

Melania stepped off Air Force One wearing black pixie pants, a bomber jacket, stiletto heels, and a black baseball cap with the FLOTUS lettering across the front.

— avery matera, Teen Vogue, "Melania Trump Used Her Tropical Storm Harvey Trip to Debut FLOTUS Merch," 30 Aug. 2017
Lil Wayne's pixie voice, his loquacious lyrics and the toy piano-like chiming of his backbeats come together into a distinct clockwork of music that's like the soundtrack of a sinister Saturday morning cartoon.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Lil Wayne smokes up Champions Square, literally and figuratively," 27 Aug. 2017
She was forever known as the anti–manic pixie dream girl, a biting, punching, sarcastic alternative for when the Zooey Deschanel types proved too cloying or boring, the wet dream of the misunderstood man with a masochistic streak.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "The Nicest Evil Girl in the World," 1 Aug. 2017
As the night wound down, a private after-party took place in McGowan’s room, where Daft Punk-meets-Massive Attack vibes mingled with McGowan’s unique vocal pixie dust and bizarre lyrical musings, which echoed out over Fort Pond into the ether.

— kurt mcvey, Vanities, "Montauk’s Surf Lodge Leans Into Its Cool-Kid Reputation with a Premiere for Rose McGowan’s New Short Film," 24 July 2017
As the night wound down, a private after-party took place in McGowan’s room, where Daft Punk-meets-Massive Attack vibes mingled with McGowan’s unique vocal pixie dust and bizarre lyrical musings, which echoed out over Fort Pond into the ether.

— kurt mcvey, vanityfair.com, "Montauk’s Surf Lodge Leans Into Its Cool-Kid Reputation with a Premiere for Rose McGowan’s New Short Film," 24 July 2017
Turns out, Kim didn't fully investigate the table before announcing the unknown white powder was pixie stick dust.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Kim Kardashian Shuts Down Rumors There Was Cocaine in the Background of Her Snapchat," 12 July 2017
Her powerful yet pixie-like voice was amazingly clear and penetrating, especially considering that Ross' singing career began roughly 47 years before the invention of the iPhones that followed her every move Friday.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Diana Ross, the supreme diva, soars at Essence Music Festival," 1 July 2017
Coulee, in a pixie ice-blue wig and neck to thigh-high-boot pleather, danced circles around Velour.

— morgan greene, chicagotribune.com, "Shea Coulee does not slay 'RuPaul's Drag Race' finale," 23 June 2017