Iron　tailings　are　the　main　component　of　bulk　industrial　solid　waste　in　China.　Iron　tailings　have　large　inventory,　which　will　cause　environmental　pollution　risk　and　secondary　resource　waste　if　left　untreated.　How　to　efficiently　utilize　iron　tailings　as　resources　is　an　important　guarantee　for　safe　consumption　of　bulk　industrial　solid　waste.　Based　on　the　basic　properties　and　utilization　way　of　iron　tailings　and　the　principle　of　electromagnetic　wave　absorption,　this　paper　mainly　introduced　the　research　of　iron　tailings　and　its　modified　electromagnetic　wave　absorbing　materials,　iron　tailings　in　cement-based　wave　absorbing　concrete　and　geopolymer　wave　absorbing　cementitious　materials,　focusing　on　the　research　progress　of　the　wave　absorbing　properties　and　mechanism　of　iron　tailings　in　cement-based　concrete.　The　feasibility　and　performance　of　preparing　iron　tailings-based　geopolymer　wave　absorbing　concrete　by　geopolymerization　reaction　were　discussed,　which　provides　implications　for　the　application　of　iron　tailings-based　geopolymers　in　multifunctional　building　materials,　provides　solution　ideas　to　improve　the　comprehensive　utilization　rate　of　iron　tailings　solid　waste　resources,　and　solves　the　problems　of　tailings　accumulation　and　environmental　pollution.　The　purpose　of　this　paper　is　to　summarize　the　research　progress　of　iron　tailings　in　wave　absorbing　building　materials,　and　further　promotes　the　development　of　geopolymer　wave　absorbing　building　materials.　©　2023　Bulletin　of　the　Chinese　Ceramic　Society.　All　rights　reserved.