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Synonyms

pixie

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

noun

plural

pixies

  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

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.

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

And somehow — despite all the worrying, and yes, my mom worried a lot — 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

I might have named Edith Sim and instilled her with ambition, mischief, and a sassy pixie cut, but she selected her job—aspiring comedian—all on her own.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2024

“No special reason,” Leah said, scratching her shaggy pixie haircut behind the ear.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.