The verb diaphtheirō means to corrupt or destroy thoroughly — complete deterioration or ruin, whether of physical things (rotting, decaying) or of moral/spiritual character. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul uses it for the outward body 'wasting away' while the inward man is renewed, a powerful theological contrast.
Paul's contrast between the diaphtheirō of the outer man and the daily renewal of the inner man (2 Cor 4:16) captures the Christian's paradoxical experience: the body moves toward death while the spirit is being made more alive. This theological insight transforms suffering — physical decline becomes the context in which God's resurrection power is most visibly at work. Revelation 11:18 uses the word for God's destruction of 'those who destroy the earth,' promising cosmic justice.