By analogy with Pavlov’s dogs, certain pathogens have evolved anticipatory behaviours that exploit specific signals in the human host to prepare themselves against imminent host challenges. This adaptive prediction, a type of history-dependent microbial behaviour, represents a primitive form of microbial memory. For fungal pathogens, adaptive prediction helps them circumvent nutritional immunity, protects them against phagocytic killing, and activates immune evasion strategies. We describe how these anticipatory responses, and the contrasting lifestyles and evolutionary trajectories of fungal pathogens, have influenced the evolution of such adaptive behaviours, and how these behaviours affect host colonisation and infection. Recent evidence indicates that fungal pathogens have evolved anticipatory behaviours. These anticipatory behaviours exploit specific signals in the human host to prepare the fungus for imminent host challenges. These anticipatory behaviours represent a primitive form of fungal memory. These anticipatory behaviours can activate micronutrient acquisition mechanisms before a fungal pathogen is exposed to nutritional immunity. Masking of pathogen-associated molecular patterns at the fungal cell surface can attenuate subsequent immune recognition. Stress responses can be induced to protect the fungus against impending phagocytic killing mechanisms. Together, these anticipatory behaviours promote immune evasion, fungal colonisation, and infection.