Chalcones, considered as the precursors of flavonoids and isoflavonoids, are abundant in edible plants, and have also been shown to display a diverse array of pharmacological activities. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the pharmacological activity of synthetic and naturally occurring chalcones. This review is complementary to earlier reviews and covers more recent reports of antimicrobial activity of chalcones (antibacterial and antifungal), as well as antileishmanial, antimalarial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds.