diffuse vs penetrate

diffuse is an adjective but penetrate is not an adjective.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
diffuse	No	Yes	Yes	No
penetrate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, diffuse and penetrate are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of diffuse include imbue, interpenetrate, permeate, pervade, riddle.

As verbs, penetrate is a hypernym of diffuse; that is, penetrate is a word with a broader meaning than diffuse:

Other hypernyms of diffuse include perforate.

diffuse (adjective)	penetrate (adjective)
(of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected
spread out; not concentrated in one place
lacking conciseness

diffuse (verb)	penetrate (verb)
cause to become widely known	come to understand
spread or diffuse through	become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
move outward	pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
	insert the penis into the vagina or anus of
	spread or diffuse through
	make one's way deeper into or through
	enter a group or organization in order to spy on the members