pixelated

adjective

pix·​e·​lat·​ed ˈpik-sə-ˌlā-təd 

of an image

: displayed in such a manner that individual pixels are discernible

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 pixelated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The view through the camera is disorienting, a pixelated grayscale landscape. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025

One example is restoring or upscaling images: taking pixelated, noisy or blurry images and making a crisper and higher-resolution version. —Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 16 June 2025

It’s brought to life with a stunning pixelated art style inspired by point and click titles such as Day of the Tentacle and Darkside Detective. —Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

But most of the trip was dominated by a drift that was languid, meditative, sharpening the pixels of the present tense in a way that is increasingly rare in our pixelated age. —David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

pixel + -ated (after pixilated)

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pixelated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated