Butorphanol tartrate is an agonist and antagonist of opioid receptor. Compared with traditional opioids, butorphanol tartrate has a good analgesic and sedative effect, and has a low incidence of adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting and respiratory inhibition, so it is widely used in clinical anesthesia. This paper briefly introduces the pharmacological characteristics of butorphanol tartrate, and reviews the application of butorphanol in preemptive analgesia, labor analgesia, and in the induction and recovery of general anesthesia. The purpose of this study is to provide reference significance for the more rational application of butorphanol in the future.