Throughout their growth and development， plants are exposed to numerous adverse environmental conditions. In response to these stresses， plants synthesize secondary metabolites such as lignin and lignans， which contribute to cell wall reinforcement and defense. Dirigent （DIR） proteins were characterized as a family of auxiliary proteins in plants， typically containing a conserved dirigent domain. They have been implicated in lignin polymerization and lignan biosynthesis by mediating the stereo- and regioselectivity of oxidative coupling reactions. In recent years， DIR family in various plant species have been extensively studied for their roles in plant growth， development， and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This review comprehensively focuses on recent advances in the structural characteristics， subfamily classification， and biological functions of the DIR family members in plants. It particularly emphasizes elucidating the mechanisms by which DIR genes respond to stresses such as drought， low temperature， and pathogen infection. The information synthesized in this review provides the theoretical basis for elucidating how DIR genes regulate plant growth， development， stress tolerance， and quality formation. It will ultimately guide the development of elite germplasm characterized by high yield， superior quality， and broad-spectrum stress tolerance.