Lexical Definition

‎ἀπόλλυμι‎ apóllymi (ap-ol'-loo-mee) to destroy ^G:V
from ‎ἀπό‎ and the base of ‎ὄλεθρος‎

destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.

• to destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively

Abbott-Smith

ἀπ-όλλυμι and ἀπολλύω, [in LXX for אבד, etc. (38 words in all)].
1. Act.,
(1) to destroy utterly, destroy, kill: Mk 1:24, 9:22, al.; τ. ψνχήν, Mt 10:28, al.;
(2) to lose utterly: Mt 10:42, al.; metaph., of failing to save, Jo 6:39 18:9.
2. Mid.,
(1) to perish;
(a) of things: Mt 5:29, Jo 6:12, He 1:11(LXX), al.;
(b) of persons: Mt 8:26, al. Metaph., of loss of eternal life, Jo 3:15, 16 10:28 17:12, Ro 2:12, I Co 8:11 15:18, II Pe 3:9. In οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι, the perishing, contrasted in I Co 1:18, al., with οἱ σωζόμενοι, the "perfective" force of the verb, wh. "implies the completion of the process of destruction," is illustrated (v. M, Pr., 114 f.; M, Th., ii, 2:10);
(2) to be lost: Lk 15:4 21:18. Metaph., on the basis of the relation between shepherd and flock, of spiritual destitution and alienation from God: Mt 10:6 15:24, Lk 19:10 (MM, s.v.; DCG, i, 191 f., ii, 76, 554; Cremer, 451).

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

Included with: ἀπολλύω

or ἀπολλύω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; the form is rejected by [Refs 5th c.BC+], imperfect ἀπώλλυν[Refs 5th c.BC+]future ἀπολέσω, Epic dialect ἀπολέσσω, Attic dialect ἀπολῶ, Ionic dialect ἀπολέω[Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist ἀπώλεσα, Epic dialect ἀπόλεσσα: perfect ἀπολώλεκα:—frequently in tmesi in Epic dialect; preposition postponed in [Refs 8th c.BC+] —stronger form of ὄλλυμι, destroy utterly, kill, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] mostly of death in battle, ἀπώλεσε λαὸν Ἀχαιῶν[Refs]; also of things, demolish, lay waste, ἀπώλεσεν Ἴλιον ἱρήν [Refs], etc.; generally, βίοτον δ᾽ ἀπὸ πάμπαν ὀλέσσει will waste my substance, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οἵ μ᾽ ἀπωλλύτην sought to destroy me (imperfect sense), [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in pregnant sense, ἐπεί με γᾶς ἐκ πατρίας ἀπώλεσε drove me ruined from.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τῆς παρ᾽ ἡμέραν χάριτος τὰ μέγιστα τῆς πόλεως ἀ. for the sake of.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]

__2 λόγοις or λέγων ἀ. τινά talk or bore one to death, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence, alone, in future ἀπολεῖς με[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπολεῖ μ᾽ οὑτοσί by his questions, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__3 ruin a woman, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II lose, πατέρ᾽ ἐσθλὸν ἀπώλεσα[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀπὸ θυμὸν ὀλέσσαι lose one's life,[Refs 8th c.BC+]; θυμὸν οὐκ ἀπώλεσεν loses not his spirit, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; frequently of things, ἡ τοῦ πλέονος ἐπιθυμίη τὸ παρεὸν ἀπόλλυσι[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀ. οὐσίαν, ={ἀπόλλυσθαι}, [Refs]
__B middle, ἀπόλλῠμαι: future -ολοῦμαι, Ionic dialect -ολέομαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist 2 -ωλόμην: perfect -όλωλα, whence the barbarous imperfect ἀπόλωλο[Refs 5th c.BC+]pluperfect in Attic dialect Prose sometimes written ἀπωλώλειν in codices, as [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—perish, die, [Refs], etc.; cease to exist, opposed to γίγνεσθαι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; simply, to be undone, αὐτῶν.. ἀπωλόμεθ᾽ ἀφραδίῃσιν[Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect, ἀπόλωλας you are lost, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπολλύμενος, opposed to σῳζόμενος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]participle future, κάκιστ᾽ ἀπολούμενε o destined to a miserable end! i.e. o thou villain, scoundrel, knave! [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.2 in NT, perish, in theol. sense, [NT]; οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι, opposed to οἱ σῳζόμενοι, [NT]
__B.II to be lost, ὕδωρ ἀπολέσκετ᾽ (of the water eluding Tantalus) [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὔποτε καρπὸς ἀπόλλυται never falls untimely,[LXX+8th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: John.3.16 ☩ 1Cor.1.18 ☩ LXX.1Kgs.9.3}