Quick Definition
διαφθείρω v. I destroy, waste, corrupt
Strong's Definition
from 1225 and 5351; to rot thoroughly, i.e. (by implication) to ruin (passively, decay utterly, figuratively, pervert)
KJV Usage: corrupt, destroy, perish
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | aor.pass. διεφθάρην · pf.pass. διέφθαρμαι | φθείρω
20.40 · Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill · Destroy
to destroy utterly to cause the complete destruction of someone or something In REV 11:18 there is a play on the two meanings of διαφθείρω. In the first instance the meaning is destroy, but in the second instance the meaning is ‘to deprave’ (see 88.266).
88.266 · Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior · Licentiousness, Perversion
to deprave, to pervert, to ruin, to cause the moral ruin of to cause someone to become perverse or depraved, as a type of moral destruction
23.146 · Physiological Processes and States · Sickness, Disease, Weakness
to lose one’s strength, to waste away to become gradually incapacitated
1 It is possible that διαφθείρω[b] and καταφθείρω are somewhat more emphatic in meaning than φθείρω[c].
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
διαφθείρω; 1 aor. διέφθειρα ; Pass., [pres. διαφθείροpar]; pf. ptep. διεφθαρμένος ; 2 aor. διεφθάρην; Sept. very often for nmv, occasionally for an; in Grk. writ. fr. Hom. down; 1. to change for the worse, to corrupt: minds, morals; τὴν γῆν, i.e. the men that inhabit the earth, Rey. xi. 18; διεφθαρμένοι τὸν νοῦν, 1 Tim. vi. 5, (τὴν διάνοιαν, Plat. legg. 10 p. 888 a.; τὴν γνώμην, Dion. Hal. antt.5, 21; τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, Xen. an. 4, 5, 12). 2. to destroy, ruin, (Lat. perdere); a. to consume, of bodily vigor and strength: ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται [is decaying |, 2 Co. iv. 16; of the worm or moth that eats provisions, clothing, ete. Lk. xii. 33. b. to destroy (Lat. delere) : Rev. viii. 9; to kill, διαφθείρειν τοὺς etc. Rev. xi. 18.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
διαφθείρω diaphtheirō 6x
to corrupt or destroy utterly; to waste, bring to decay, Lk. 12:33; 2 Cor. 4:16; to destroy, Rev. 8:9; 11:18 (2x); met. to corrupt, pervert utterly, 1 Tim. 6:5*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
δια-φθείρω
[in LXX chiefly for שׁחת hi. ;]
to destroy utterly: Lk 12:33, Re 11:18; pass., to be destroyed, disabled: Re 8:9, II Co 4:16.
In moral sense, to corrupt, deprave: τ. γῆν, Re 11:18; pass., διεφθαρμένοι τ. νοῦν, I Ti 6:5.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
διαφθείρω, as befits a perfective compound, denotes usually a completed process of damage. It is used for the death of animals, as P Strass I. 2451 (A.D. 118) καὶ διεφ[θά]ρησί(αν) μετὰ Φαῶ(φι) aly(es) a, P Oxy I. 7424 (a.p. 116—registration of sheep) ἐξ ὧν διεφθάρη πρ(όβατα) ἕξ, ἄρνας δύο, and so P Amh II. 735 (a.p. 129-130) ; P Lond 3098 (A.D. 146) (= IL. p. 73) διεφθάρη μετὰ τὴν ἐξαρίθίμησιν) κάμηλος [a], P Oxy VI. 938% (ili/iv A.D.) ὡς ἐκ τούτου κινδυνεύειν τὰ κτήνη διαφθαρῆναι, ‘with the result that the oxen are in | Parr II. j du Gopos danger of destruction ” (Edd.), BGU IV. rroo™ (n.c. 5), a contract with a wet-nurse, is made διὰ τὸ τῆς Καλλιτύχης ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ διατεθείσης διεφθάρθαι τὸ ταύτης γάλα. Vettius Valens uses it thrice of abortion. Passing to inanimate things, we find the verb used in a British Museum papyrus, P Lond Inv No. 18854 (a.p. 114-5), with reference to public records, and strikingly illustrating the carelessness with which these were sometimes kept—cuvéBy . . . ἃ μὲϊν] (2c. τῶν βιβλίων) μὴ σώ[ζ]εσθαι πίοϊλλῷ χρόνο διαφθαρέντα, ἃ [δὲ] καὶ ἀπὸ] μέρους διεφϑάρθ[α]ι, ἔνια δὲ κεφαλόβροτα γεγονέναι διὰ τὸ τοὺ: τίόϊπους καυσώδις εἶναι : see H. I. Bell in Archiv vi. p. 101. In P Oxy I. 95* (A.D. 129) it is used in connexion with the failure of a contract, ἣν ἐὰν συμβῇ παραπεσῖν ἢ ἄλλως πῶς διαφθαρ[ἢ]vat, ‘‘if the terms of it should be broken or it in any other way be rendered invalid” (Edd.). Syé/ 540% (B.c. 175-1), the “breaking” of a stone—éay τινα ὑγιῆ λίθον διαφθείρηι κατὰ τὴν ἐργασίαν ὁ τῆς θέσεως ἐργώνης.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
διαφθείρω (diaphtheirō) — to destroy. διαφθείρω, future -φθερῶ[Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect -φθέρσω[Refs 8th c.BC+]: perfect διέφθαρκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, future διαφθᾰρήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect διαφθερέομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: 3rd.pers. plural pluperfect διεφθάρατο [Refs]:—destroy utterly, πόλιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; make away with, kill, τινά [Refs]; destroy, ruin, ἥδ᾽ ἡμέρα φύσει σε καὶ διαφθερεῖ S.[same place]; τὴν τύχην [Refs]; δ. χεῖρα weaken, slacken one's hand, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; spoil, break, ὑγιῆ λίθον [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; τὰ θυρώματα διεφθάρθαι [Refs]; δ. τὴν συνουσίαν break up the party, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. in moral sense, corrupt, ruin, γνώμην [Refs 4th c.BC+]; δ. τοὺς νέους, τοὺς νεωτέρους, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially corrupt by bribes, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. γυναῖκα seduce a woman, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. τοὺς νόμους falsify, counterfeit them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ φεφ αδηκότα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. οὐδὲν διαφθείρας τοῦ χρώματος having changed nothing of his colour, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. of a woman, to lose by miscarriage or premature birth, ἔμβρυα, βρέφος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, miscarry, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, τῶν διαφθαρεισῶν τὰ ἔμβρυα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
5. lose, forget, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
6. ={διάγω}, uncertain in [Refs]
II. passive, to be destroyed, δ. ἐπὶ τοῖς ἱματίοις to be murdered for the clothes he wore, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of animals, frequently in Papyrus, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; especially to be crippled, disabled, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of ships,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be spoilt, γάλα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be corrupted, αἷμα [Refs 2nd c.AD+]deaf, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ σκέλεα διεφθάρησαν had their legs broken, [Refs 5th c.BC+]blinded, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ φρενῶν διαφθαρέν, ={φρενοβλάβεια}, [Refs 5th c.BC+] decomposed, of a corpse, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. perfect διέφθορα intransitive, to have lost one's wits, διέφθορας [Refs 8th c.BC+] corrupted blood, [Refs]; frequently in later Prose, γάλα δ. ἤδη [Refs 1st c.AD+]; but,
III.2. in Trag. and Comedy texts always transitive [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. aorist διέφθειρα intransitive, became corrupt, [LXX]