attack vs assault

attack and assault both are nouns.

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

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

attack: the act of attacking
assault: a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped

As verbs, attack and assault are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of attack include assail, lash out, round, snipe.

As verbs, attack and assault are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of attack include assail, set on.

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

attack (noun)	assault (noun)
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)	close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase	a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped
the act of attacking	the crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse against his or her will
ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
an offensive move in a sport or game
strong criticism
intense adverse criticism
the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent)
a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition

attack (verb)	assault (verb)
begin to injure	attack in speech or writing
set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task	attack someone physically or emotionally
attack in speech or writing	force (someone) to have sex against their will
launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
take the initiative and go on the offensive
attack someone physically or emotionally