The invention relates to a method for preparing a quinoline derivative. The method comprises the following steps: by taking aromatic amine compounds and fatty alcohol as raw materials and oxygen-containing molybdenum disulfide as a catalyst, performing a reaction for 2-12 hours in an inert atmosphere or an oxygen-containing atmosphere at the temperature of 120-200 DEG C, after the reaction is finished, separating liquid phase components, performing concentration, and performing separation through a silica gel column, so as to obtain a substituted quinoline compound. The synthetic method may have important application in the aspect of quinoline compound synthesis.