pixelated
adjective
pix·e·lat·ed
ˈpik-sə-ˌlā-təd 
of an image
: displayed in such a manner that individual pixels are discernible
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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 pixelated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The game is a near-infinite sandbox rendered in pixelated cubes, and your character (the default avatar is a blue-shirted man named Steve) begins their adventure armed only with their boxy hands.
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David Sims, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
My eyes darted nervously to the stop names flashing in pixelated yellow letters by the driver’s head.
—Priya Vulchi, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
The effect was uncannily convincing; any flaws—pixelated chin scruff, say—revealed themselves only on close examination.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
In Minecraft’s pixelated Overworld, everything is shaped like a box, from the trees to the bees, and players invent their own adventures — there’s no princess imprisoned in a castle.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pixelated
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David Sims, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2025
My eyes darted nervously to the stop names flashing in pixelated yellow letters by the driver’s head.
—Priya Vulchi, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
The effect was uncannily convincing; any flaws—pixelated chin scruff, say—revealed themselves only on close examination.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
In Minecraft’s pixelated Overworld, everything is shaped like a box, from the trees to the bees, and players invent their own adventures — there’s no princess imprisoned in a castle.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pixelated
Cite this Entry
“Pixelated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pixelated. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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