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

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Cat and Andi are thrown together to work on the romance plotlines of a major video game release and love starts to bloom outside the pixelated world. —

Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025 Additionally, there’s a limit in terms of the full-Earth highly pixelated resolution that’s possible from space. —

IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2024 One night, after Conor plays the rudimentary (and disappointing) floppy-disk adventure game with pixelated graphics, Sandy disappears. —

Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025 The petals on the flower below are pixelated and blurry. —

PCMAG, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pixelated