pixie

1 of 2

noun

pix·ie ˈpik-sē

variants or less commonly pixy

plural pixies

Synonyms of pixie next

: fairy

specifically : a cheerful mischievous sprite

: a usually petite vivacious woman or girl

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

pixieish

ˈpik-sē-ish

adjective

pixie

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly pixy

: playfully mischievous

pixiness noun

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

Noun

In addition to bobs, Kimble predicts that pixie cuts will be a major haircut trend this fall. —

Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023 Her ensemble exuded a pretty pastel color palette, down to her cotton candy pink pixie cut to her billowing lavender gown. —

Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 July 2023 To prepare for last night's London premiere of Mission: Impossible 7, French actor Pom Klementieff opted to part ways with her peroxide bob in favor of a pixie two months in the making. —

Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 23 June 2023 Bestsellers such as the 50-milliliter Magic Cream ($100) and Beauty Light Wand highlighters (from $42) feature Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell on the packaging, and the whimsical Beauty Wishes makeup bag ($48) in Tilbury’s signature crimson shade features the iconic pixie embellished in crystals. —

Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 July 2023 Pugh's hair was freshly bleached and styled into a cute pixie. —

Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 29 July 2023 Lately, she's been wearing her hair in an uneven pixie cut, with her soft natural curls floating free. —

Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 8 Aug. 2023 Her hair is styled in a full, fluffy cloud of curls around her face — a major departure for Berry, who is best known for her iconic pixie cut. —

Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Aug. 2023 The princess paired the look with a simple white clutch and a dynamic pair of dangling Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, along with her signature pixie cut. —

Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2023

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 Atop the pile, Tinker Bell sat waving, like a pixie Jackie Onassis. —

Neima Jahromi, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 For all its sprinklings of pixie dust — a wiggly scorpion samba, a cyclone of flying pastries — the movie is often disconcertingly adult, and at the same time, largely unconcerned with welcoming in viewers not already steeped in the mythology. —

Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2022 Revel, a kombucha brewery and tasting room, will release a pixie tangerine kombucha. —

Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2022 Maurice is a genially bearish man, with curly brown hair, who looks like a brainier John Laroquette; Katia, with short hair and glasses and a vivacious grin, suggests a pixie version of Terry Gross. —

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 Jan. 2022 Goofy costumes, silly songs, colorful sets and a sprinkling of pixie dust never hurt anyone, and the ABC reality series has gone overboard this year with not just one, but two, Disney Nights. —

Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 12 Oct. 2021 Again a roof will greatly cut down the natural air circulation and ventilation, assuming that the roof is made out of solid material and not pixie dust. —

Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pixie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.