Metal oxide nanomaterials and their composites are comprehensively reviewed for water remediation. The controlled morphological and textural features, variable surface chemistry, high surface area, specific crystalline nature, and abundant availability make the nanostructured metal oxides and their composites highly selective materials for efficient removal of organic pollutants based on adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. A wide range of metal oxides like iron oxides, magnesium oxide, titanium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, copper oxides, metal oxides composites, and graphene-metal oxides composites having variable structural, crystalline and morphological features are reviewed emphasizing the recent development, challenges, and opportunities for adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants viz. dyes, pesticides, phenolic compounds, and so on. It also covers the deep discussion on the photocatalytic mechanism of metal oxides and their composites along with the properties relevant to photocatalysis. High photodegradation efficiency, economically-viable approaches for the preparation of photocatalytic materials, and controlled band-gap engineering make metal oxides highly efficient photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants. The review would be an excellent resource for researchers who are currently focusing on metal oxides-based materials for water remediation as well as for those who are interested in adsorptive and photocatalytic applications of metal oxides and their composites.