To investigate the effects of multiple weak interactions on the binding of phenolic compounds by polymeric adsorbents, macroporous polystyrene (PS) resin and PS-based adsorbents with different hydrogen-bond acceptor atoms (PSÀ ÀCH 2 (À ÀOCH 2 CH 2 ) n À ÀOCH 3 , n ¼ 0, 1, 2, and 3, denoted as PS-EG 0 , PS-EG 1 , PS-EG 2 , and PS-EG 3 ) were prepared. The phenol adsorption strength order on these adsorbents was PS/PS-EG 0 < PS-EG 1 < PS-EG 2 < PS-EG 3 , indicating that the adsorption on PS and PS-EG 0 was driven by hydrophobic and p-p interactions, and the adsorption on PS-EG 1 , PS-EG 2 , and PS-EG 3 was driven by a hydrogen bond in addition to hydrophobic and p-p interactions. PS-EG 2 may adsorb a second phenol molecule on each binding site and PS-EG 3 may adsorb second and third ones. The adsorption strength of resorcinol increased in the order of PS, PS-EG 1 , and PS-EG 2 , indicating that the adsorption was driven by 0, 1, and 2 hydrogen bonds in addition to hydrophobic and p-p interactions. Similarly, the adsorption of phloroglucinol on PS, PS-EG 1 , PS-EG 2 , and PS-EG 3 was driven by 0, 1, 2, and 3 hydrogen bonds in addition to hydrophobic and p-p interactions because the adsorption strength increased in this order.