Tub-thumping is used as an adjective and a noun to describe people's behaviour when they are supporting an idea or course of action in a loud and forceful way. Economic recovery does not depend on tub-thumping speeches from politicians, but on the Government creating jobs. The players neither need, nor will respond to, tub-thumping. Note: You can call someone who behaves in this way a tub-thumper. Marsh was far from being a tub-thumper. Note: This expression is used to show disapproval. Note: People sometimes used to refer to pulpits (= the place in a church where the priest stands to speak) as `tubs', especially when talking humorously about nonconformist preachers. The image is of a preacher banging the pulpit with his fist to emphasize his message.