An ardent statement means that is passionate and very enthusiastic.

"Petulant" and "sullen" both mean crabby or moody. "Guileless" means honest or forthright. "Florid" means very elaborate or decorative. "Extravagant" means indulgent or wasteful. "Esoteric" means mysterious or obscure. 

"Fervent" and "ardent" both mean devout or passionate. "Apathetic" means uncaring or disinterested. "Dispassionate" means unfeeling or impartial. "Intermittent" means irregular or sporadic. "Virulent" means poisonous or lethal. 

If you are “contrite,” it means you are honest about your feelings of regret and guilt over something you have done wrong. This is very similar in meaning to “remorseful.” “Disingenuous” means not candid or insincere and dishonest; “supreme” means best of all; “corporeal” means relating to the body; and “cerebral” means relating to the mind or, when used to describe a person, intelligent.

“Ecstasy” is a feeling of deep joy and happiness, so "joy" is the best answer. As for the other answer choices, “sorrow" is an antonym of “ecstasy” and means deep sadness; and "demeanor" means manner or appearance.

"Affable" is an adjective that describes people and means "friendly, good natured, or easy to talk to." While "tenacious" also describes people, it means "stubborn; clinging or adhering closely" and isn't a synonym of "affable." "Gregarious," however, also is used to describe people and means "fond of company; sociable," so it is the best answer choice.

"Contrite" means sorry for wrongs. The only word that matches that is "repentant."

"Abject" means downtrodden and hopeless, so "downtrodden" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, none are close in meaning to "abject": "ambiguous" means having more than one meaning; "audacious" means brazen or bold; "diffident" means hesitant or lacking in confidence; and "laudable" means admirable or praiseworthy.

"Incensed" is an adjective that means "very angry; enraged," so we will need to pick out an adjective that means something like "very angry." "Serene" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "serene" is an adjective that means "calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil," making "serene" an antonym, not a synonym, of "incensed." "Furious," however, is an adjective that means "extremely angry" or "full of anger or energy; violent or intense," and because "furious" is the answer choice closest in meaning to "incensed," "furious" is the correct answer.

"Despondent" is an adjective that means "in low spirits from loss of hope or courage." So, while "ponderous" may sound somewhat similar to "despondent" because of the words' shared "-pon-" syllable, "ponderous" means "slow and clumsy because of great weight," or "dull, laborious, or excessively solemn," so it does not mean the same thing as "despondent" and cannot be the correct answer. "Disconsolate," however, is an adjective that means "without consolation or comfort; unhappy," and because it is the answer choice closest in meaning to "despondent," it is the correct answer.