Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanostructures have attracted increasing attention due to their potential application in both conditional optical devices and new generation of nano-electronics and nano-optoelectronics because of their special structure-related chemical and physical properties. In this article, beginning with the synthesis of ZnS nanostructures with various original morphologies, we summarize the state-of-art research progresses on ZnS nanostructures. This is followed by the recent progresses on the improvement of their properties, especially the novel potential applications. We highlight the recent achievements on photoluminescence, photocatalysis, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), field-effect transistors (FET), sensors, dye-sensitized solar cells, and field emission (FE) based on ZnS nanostructures. Finally, we present an outlook on the future development of ZnS nanostructures