With global warming, drought stress is becoming increasingly severe, causing serious impacts on crop yield and quality. Plants have evolved mechanisms to cope with drought stress, including the synergistic effects of regulatory pathways such as transcription factors, phytohormones, stomatal movement, osmotic substances, sRNA, and antioxidant systems. This study summarizes the research progress on plant drought resistance, aiming to provide a reference for improving plant drought resistance and cultivating drought-resistant varieties through genetic engineering technology. Drought stress leads to cellular dehydration, causing osmotic and oxidative stress. Plants respond by synthesizing and accumulating osmotic regulatory substances like soluble proteins, sugars, and polyamines, which help reduce water loss and protect cell structures. Transcription factors such as NAC, WRKY, bZIP, DREB, and MYB play crucial roles in enhancing drought resistance by regulating stress-responsive genes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during drought stress, which can cause cellular damage, but plants have antioxidant systems to scavenge ROS and maintain redox homeostasis. Phytohormones like ABA, JA, SA, and ethylene are involved in regulating drought responses, including stomatal closure and osmotic regulation. Small RNAs (sRNA) also play a role in drought stress responses by regulating gene expression. Overall, understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing strategies to improve plant drought resistance through genetic engineering.With global warming, drought stress is becoming increasingly severe, causing serious impacts on crop yield and quality. Plants have evolved mechanisms to cope with drought stress, including the synergistic effects of regulatory pathways such as transcription factors, phytohormones, stomatal movement, osmotic substances, sRNA, and antioxidant systems. This study summarizes the research progress on plant drought resistance, aiming to provide a reference for improving plant drought resistance and cultivating drought-resistant varieties through genetic engineering technology. Drought stress leads to cellular dehydration, causing osmotic and oxidative stress. Plants respond by synthesizing and accumulating osmotic regulatory substances like soluble proteins, sugars, and polyamines, which help reduce water loss and protect cell structures. Transcription factors such as NAC, WRKY, bZIP, DREB, and MYB play crucial roles in enhancing drought resistance by regulating stress-responsive genes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during drought stress, which can cause cellular damage, but plants have antioxidant systems to scavenge ROS and maintain redox homeostasis. Phytohormones like ABA, JA, SA, and ethylene are involved in regulating drought responses, including stomatal closure and osmotic regulation. Small RNAs (sRNA) also play a role in drought stress responses by regulating gene expression. Overall, understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing strategies to improve plant drought resistance through genetic engineering.