Nounverb / Good
stride - Progress or advancement: A significant step forward in development or improvement; or a long step or pace: A way of walking with long, decisive steps.
The Supreme Court's decision was a signfication stride in the movement towards desegretation.
intrigue - To arouse curiosity and interest by unusual, new, and fascinating qualities
Though Steve didn't understand much about the field of Artificial Intelligence, he was intrigued about all the talk he heard about it, and he wanted to learn more about it.