Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pleiotropic pro‐inflammatory cytokine, is a key regulator in both innate and acquired immunity systems. MIF has become a promising drug target for inflammatory diseases. Apart from its cytokine activities, MIF is known to act as a d‐dopachrome tautomerase. Our previous work has identified that 3‐[(biphenyl‐4‐ylcarbonyl)carbamothioyl]amino benzoic acid (Z‐590) exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against MIF. In this study, we investigate the effect of Z‐590 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐activated microglial cell activation. Our results demonstrate that Z‐590 significantly decreases the production of nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β, cyclooxygenase (COX‐2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in inhibiting MAKPs signalling pathway in LPS‐stimulated microglia cells. Furthermore, Z‐590 reduced cytotoxicity of activated microglia toward HT‐22 hippocampal cells in a microglia‐conditioned medium system. Taken together, these results indicate that MIF inhibitor Z‐590 elicits a potent inhibitor for microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation.