Abstract: The development of eco-friendly and excellent wood adhesive from sustainable and renewable resources instead of traditional fossil resources had attracted considerable attention in the wood-based panel industry. Lignin had a wide range of sources and low prices, and its molecular structure contained active groups, such as hydroxyl, methoxyl and carboxyl groups, which were easy to be functionalized and modified, and it was an ideal raw material for making wood adhesive. In this paper, the applications and research status of lignin and its derivatives in wood adhesives of phenolic resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, epoxy resins and polyurethanes and other synthetic resins were reviewed. Furthermore, the effects of pretreatment methods such as chemical modification, depolymerization and solvent fraction on the chemical reactivity of lignin and the mechanical properties of synthetic resin adhesives were discussed. The problems and challenges of lignin-based wood adhesives existed in the current development of were investigated, and the future application and research directions were prospected, in order to provide theoretical and technical references for the efficient and high-value added utilization of lignin resources and the development of high-performance bio-based wood adhesives.