Lexical Definition

‎χαλεπός‎ chalepós (khal-ep-os') harsh ^G:A
perhaps from ‎χαλάω‎ through the idea of reducing the strength

fierce, perilous.

• difficult, i.e. dangerous, or (by implication) furious

Abbott-Smith

χαλεπός, -ή, -όν [in LXX: Is 18:2 (נוֺרָא), Wi 3:19, Si 3:21, al. ;]
hard;
(a) hard to do or deal with, difficult;
(b) hard to bear, painful, grievous: καιροί, II Ti 3:1;
(c) of persons, hard to deal with, harsh, fierce, savage: Mt 8:28.†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

χαλεπός-ός, ή, όν,

difficult (ὃ ἂν μὴ ῥᾴδιον ᾖ ἀλλὰ διὰ πολλῶν πραγμάτων γίγνηται [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__I in reference to the feelings, hard to bear, painful, grievous (so frequently in [χαλεπόςώτερος ἄεθλος 8th-7th c.BC: Hesiodus Epicus “Theogonia” 800 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄλλα τῶν κατεχόντων πρηγμάτων - ώτερα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαλεπόςώτατα [πράγματα] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; νόσος, πλάνη, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ἐσβολὴ αὕτη -ωτάτη τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐγένετο [Refs 5th c.BC+]; [θώρακες] δύσφοροι καὶ χ., of ill-fitting cuirasses, [Refs 5th c.BC+] the severity of the wind, [Refs]; τὰ χ. hardships, opposed to τὰ τερπνά, [χαλεπόςῶν τε κρίσις 5th c.BC: Pindarus Lyricus “Fragmenta.” 131, compare 3rd c.AD: Plotinus Philosophus 5.9.14 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]: comparative, more unpleasant, [Refs 4th c.AD+]
__I.2 hard to do or deal with, difficult, irksome, -ώτατον ἔργον ἁπάντων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαλεπόςὰ τὰ καλά proverbial cited in [Refs 5th c.BC+], attributed to Solon by Scholia (at [prev. work]); χαλεπόςὸν ὁ βίος [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive active or middle, χαλεπόςή τοι ἐγὼ μένος ἀντιφέρεσθαι, = {χαλεπόςόν ἐστί μοι ἀντιφέρεσθαί σοι}, [χαλεπόςοὶ δὲ θεοὶ φαίνεσθαι ἐναργεῖς 20.131 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; χαλεπόςὸν δέ τ᾽ ὀρύσσειν [τὸ μῶλυ] [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χ. συγγενέσθαι, εὑρεῖν, γενέσθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with infinitive passive, χαλεπόςὸς διαγνωσθῆναι καὶ δειχθῆναι [χαλεπόςὸν ληφθῆναι ὁ τόπος 4th c.BC: Aristoteles Philosophus “Physica” 212a8 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαλεπόςόν [ἐστι] with infinitive, 'tis hard, difficult to do, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with accusative et infinitive, 'tis difficult for one to do.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with dative et infinitive, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__I.3 dangerous, λιμένες [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__I.4 of ground, difficult, rugged, χωρία χ. καὶ πετρώδη [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χωρίον -ώτατον a place most difficult to take, [Refs]
__II of persons, hard to deal with, cruel, harsh, stern (opposed to πρᾷος, [χαλεπόςοί τε καὶ ἄγριοι 8.575 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; -ώτερος a more bitter enemy, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; -ώτατοι most difficult to deal with, most dangerous or troublesome, [χαλεπόςόν γε θυγάτηρ κτῆμα 4th-3rd c.BC: Menander Comicus 18 ">Refs 4th c.BC+]: with dative person, cruel or harsh towards one, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, τοὺς ἀγνῶτας, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.b of words, χαλεπόςῷ ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; χ. ὀνείδεα, ὁμοκλαί, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.c especially of judges, ἦν τὸ δίκαιον φυλάσσων χ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; νόμοι [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.d savage, fierce, κύνες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of bees, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; [θηρία] χ. τὰς φύσεις [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 ill-tempered, testy, χ. ὢν καὶ δύσκολος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χαλεπόςῇ τῇ χειρί with a rough hand, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.3 of plants, hurtful to the soil, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__B adverb -πῶς hardly, with difficulty, διαγνῶναι χ. ἦν ἄνδρα ἕκαστον [Refs 8th c.BC+] οὐ or μὴ χ. without much ado, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.2 hardly, scarcely, δοκέω.. χ. ἂν Ἕλληνας Πέρσῃσι μάχεσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.3 χ. ἔχει, ={χαλεπόςόν ἐστι}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with accusative et infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.4 painfully, miserably, -ώτερον ζῆν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II of persons, angrily, cruelly, harshly, χ. τιμωρεῖσθαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χ. φέρειν τι take it ill, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also χ. ἔφερον τῷ πολέμῳ, τοῖς πράγμασιν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the laws [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II.2 frequently in the phrase χ. ἔχειν to be angry, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τινι with one, [Refs 5th c.BC+] χ. ἔχειν τισὶν ἐπί τινι with persons for a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.II.2.b χ. ἔχειν, also, to be in a bad way, χ. ἔχω ὑπὸ τοῦ πότου [Refs 5th c.BC+]— Beside the regular comparative χαλεπόςώτερον [Refs 5th c.BC+] we have -ωτέρως[Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative -ώτατα[Refs 5th c.BC+]