The ZnS/C composites with different carbon coating contents were successfully prepared using the solvothermal method followed by the calcination process. The obtained ZnS/C composites were characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results indicate that the morphology of 50 wt% carbon-coated ZnS/C composites possesses uniform spheres with a size of 80 nm, and the thickness of the carbon layer is 8 nm. When the prepared composites were used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the electrode made by 50 wt% carbon-coated ZnS/C composites shows an excellent initial discharge capacity of 1189.8 mAh/g, high discharge capacity of 948.9 mAh/g at a current rate of 0.1 C after 50 cycles, good cycling stability, and excellent rate capability of 744.8 mAh/g at 2.0 C. The excellent electrochemical performances make the nanosized ZnS/C composites a promising candidate for the LIBs. © 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.