This is the 11054th most frequent French word.
poignardait
"Poignardait" means "stabbed" or "was stabbing" in English.
The word 'poignardait' refers to the past action of continuously stabbing with a dagger during a moment of intensity.
Il poignardait son ennemi dans un accès de colère.
He was stabbing his enemy in a fit of rage.
Here, 'poignardait' is used metaphorically to describe the artist's exaggerated motion while applying paint to the canvas.
Elle poignardait la toile sans relâche, peignant une scène dramatique.
She was stabbing the canvas relentlessly, painting a dramatic scene.
In this case, 'poignardait' is depicted in a literary narrative to show a heroic action executed repeatedly in the past against an adversary.