Definitions

1. noun

A person or thing that is excessively concerned with facts and details, often to the point of being unfeeling or unsentimental.

“The strict schoolmaster was known to be a bit of a gradgrind, always emphasizing the importance of arithmetic over literature.”

2. noun

A place or system where people are treated in a similar way to the fictional Gradgrind schoolchildren, who were forced to be intellectually rigorous but emotionally stunted.

“The university’s emphasis on standardized testing and rote memorization made it a bit of a gradgrind, where students were encouraged to conform rather than think creatively.”