Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

Bible-thumper

American  
[bahy-buhl-thuhm-per] / ˈbaɪ bəlˌθʌm pər /

noun

Informal.

  1. an evangelist or other person who quotes the Bible frequently, especially as a means of exhortation or rebuke.

Bible-thumper British  

noun

  1. Also called: Bible-basher.   Bible-pounder.   Bible-puncher.  slang an enthusiastic or aggressive exponent of the Bible

"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

Other Word Forms

  • Bible-thumping adjective

Etymology

Origin of Bible-thumper

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

Cumming plays the top-hatted mayor, Chenowith is a sour Bible-thumper, Trevit is a rapscallion carnival worker and Martin Short has a cameo as a leprechaun.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2021

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.