In Buddhist thought, the 16 mental defilements, or upakkilesa, are specific mental states that cloud judgment, hinder spiritual progress, and obstruct the path to enlightenment. These defilements are seen as obstacles to concentration and are important to overcome for achieving Nirvana. 

Here’s a list of the 16 mental defilements: 

1. Abhijjha-visama-lobha: Covetousness and unrighteous greed. -Covetousness and unrighteous greed are mental states characterized by intense desire and attachment, particularly to possessions or wealth, often that of others. Covetousness specifically refers to a longing for what belongs to someone else, while unrighteous greed is a general term for an insatiable desire for more, often at the expense of others or ethical values
2. Byapada: Ill will. -Ill will is unfriendly or hostile feelings that you have towards someone. He didn’t bear anyone any ill will. All this has created considerable ill-will towards the armed forces. Synonyms: hostility, spite, dislike, hatred More Synonyms of ill will.
3. Kodha: Anger. –a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed because of something wrong or bad : the feeling that makes someone want to hurt other people, to shout, etc.
4. Upanaha: Hostility or malice. -Hostility refers to unfriendly or aggressive feelings or behavior, often involving active opposition or animosity. Malice, on the other hand, describes a desire to cause harm or suffering to others, often involving a deliberate intention to inflict pain or injury
5. Makkha: Denigration or detraction; contempt. -detraction is the sin of revealing another person’s real faults to a third person without a valid reason, thereby lessening the reputation of that person.
6. Palasa: Domineering or presumption. -Domineering describes a person who is arrogant and bossy, like a military dictator or a supervisor who micromanages everyone at work. People who are strong-willed and overbearing can be described as domineering, like customers in a restaurant who demand things with snappy fingers.
7. Issa: Envy. -a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.

8. Macchariya: Jealousy, or avarice; selfishness. -Metaphysical meaning of avarice avarice–Inordinate greed for material riches. (Symbolized by “the money-changers.”) The avaricious suffer most in body and are the most difficult to heal, because of the mental bias that prompts them to get all things as cheaply as possible, including the kingdom of heaven.
9. Maya: Hypocrisy or deceit. -Hypocrisy is pretending to have a certain belief, feeling, or virtue that one does not actually possess. Deceit is intentionally misleading or dishonest, often involving lying or withholding information. While both involve a discrepancy between appearance and reality, hypocrisy focuses on the pretence of a positive quality, while deceit focuses on misleading others
10. Satheyya: Fraud. –wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
11. Thambha: Obstinacy, obduracy. -Both “obstinacy” and “obduracy” describe a strong resistance to change or persuasion, but they have slightly different nuances. Obstinacy generally refers to stubborn adherence to one’s own opinions or purposes, even in the face of evidence or arguments. Obduracy implies a hardness of character or a refusal to be moved by feelings or persuasion, often in a more severe or negative way
12. Sarambha: Presumption or rivalry; impetuosity. –the fact of tending to act or do things quickly and without thinking carefully about the results synonym rashness, impulsiveness.
13. Mana: Conceit. -excessive pride in oneself.
14. Atimana: Arrogance, haughtiness. -Arrogance and haughtiness both describe an attitude of superiority, but they differ slightly in their nuance. Arrogance is the more general term, referring to an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance and the making of excessive or unjustified claims. Haughtiness, on the other hand, emphasizes an overbearing pride and a superior manner toward inferiors, often with a disdainful or disdainful attitude.
15. Mada: Vanity or pride. -vanity and pride have distinct meanings. Vanity generally refers to excessive pride in one’s appearance or achievements, often driven by a desire for external validation and attention. Pride, on the other hand, can be a positive feeling of satisfaction with oneself or one’s accomplishments, or a sense of self-respect and dignity. 

16. Pamada: Negligence or heedlessness. -Both “negligence” and “heedlessness” describe a lack of care or attention, but “negligence” often implies a more formal or legal context, while “heedlessness” suggests a careless disregard that can be more general and sometimes reckless.