The necessity for freshwater is growing as the global population continues to expand. One of the practices the scientific community has proposed to address the present global freshwater crisis is water desalination. This process promotes the production of fresh water from salty water. Due to the significance of high salt removal efficiency, cheap cost, minimal environmental effect, and comparatively low energy requirement, adsorption is considered a potential method for desalination. Predominantly, adsorption techniques do not use chemicals. Among the frequently studied adsorbents for desalination are activated carbons, zeolites, carbon nanomaterials, graphene, and metal or covalent organic framework materials. These materials exhibit various capabilities in terms of adsorption rate, adsorption capacity, stability, and recyclability. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene, two next-generation materials that show numerous functions with increased water transport capabilities, play a significant role and have been considered very appealing enhancers to the desalination process. However, most functional materials have drawbacks, including the need for specialized synthesis methods, agglomeration, leaching, and issues related to the environment and human health. This chapter will focus on current trends in adsorbent material development and evaluate the most recent materials with their properties, which might help with adsorbent design from an engineering application standpoint.