assault vs abuse

assault and abuse both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
assault	Yes	No	Yes	No
abuse	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, abuse is a hyponym of assault; that is, abuse is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than assault:

Other hyponyms of assault include blackguard, clapperclaw, shout, claw, vitriol, rip, whang, barrage, bombard, blister, scald, scorch, whip, rubbish.

assault (noun)	abuse (noun)
close fighting during the culmination of a military attack	improper or excessive use
a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped	cruel or inhumane treatment
the crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse against his or her will	a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

assault (verb)	abuse (verb)
attack in speech or writing	change the inherent purpose or function of something
attack someone physically or emotionally	use wrongly or improperly or excessively
force (someone) to have sex against their will	use foul or abusive language towards
	treat badly