assimilate vs absorb

assimilate and absorb both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
assimilate	No	No	Yes	No
absorb	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, assimilate and absorb are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of assimilate include ingest, take in.

As verbs, absorb is a hypernym of assimilate; that is, absorb is a word with a broader meaning than assimilate:

assimilate (verb)	absorb (verb)
become similar to one's environment	cause to become one with
make similar	take up mentally
become similar in sound	consume all of one's attention or time
take up mentally	devote (oneself) fully to
take (gas, light or heat) into a solution	take in, also metaphorically
	become imbued
	assimilate or take in
	take up, as of debts or payments
	suck or take up or in