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Synonyms

pixie

American  
[pik-see] / ˈpɪk si /
Also pixy

noun

pixies plural
  1. a fairy or sprite, especially a mischievous one.

  2. a small, pert, or mischievous person.


adjective

  1. Also pixieish, pixyish. playfully impish or mischievous; prankish.

    pixie mood; a pixie sense of humor.

pixie British  
/ ˈpɪksɪ /

noun

  1. (in folklore) a fairy or elf

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of pixie

First recorded in 1620–30; originally dialect (southwestern England) pixy, pigsy, pisky; origin uncertain

Explanation

A pixie is a mythical creature that resembles a mischievous fairy. If you spy some adorable little sprites in green pointed hats sneaking around the woods, you can bet that they're pixies. Pixies appear in folk and fairy tales from the southwest part of England, making minor mischief and dancing in groups. Today a pixie is more or less the same as a fairy or sprite, but older folktales describe conflicts (and even wars) between these groups. The root of the word pixie is a mystery — it may be related to the Swedish dialect pyske, "small fairy," but it's probably rooted in an unknown Celtic word.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The pixie dust of film school wore off fairly quickly, she remembers.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

Cardi B sported a range of different hairstyles for her court appearances this week, including a black pixie cut one day and long blonde locks the next.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

Despite all the worrying, there was an idea that things would work out in the end, no pixie dust needed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

In the photo, Halsey adorns a spunky pixie haircut and overplucked skinny eyebrows to pay homage to O'Riordan's cherry red short hairdo and overall '00s punk rock aesthetic.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2024

And standing on either side of the pixie are two knights in his livery, one with scarlet hair braided into a crown on her head.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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