desecrate vs assail

desecrate and assail both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
desecrate	No	No	Yes	No
assail	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, assail is a hypernym of desecrate; that is, assail is a word with a broader meaning than desecrate:

Other hypernyms of desecrate include assault, attack, set on.

desecrate (verb)	assail (verb)
remove the consecration from a person or an object	attack in speech or writing
violate the sacred character of a place or language	attack someone physically or emotionally
	launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with