The invention discloses binary and ternary transition metal hydrides, a preparation method and an application of the binary and ternary transition metal hydrides as an efficient and stable electro-catalytic hydrogen evolution catalyst. The catalyst has the molecular formula being HxMaRbYcO3, wherein M, R and Y are two or three different transition metals, the value of x ranges from 0.01 to 1, and the sum of a, b and c is equal to 1. M, R and Y are any two or three elements of scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, rhodium, osmium, tungsten, tantalum and iridium. HxMaRbYcO3 as a water electrolysis catalyst has electrochemical performance in an acidic electrolyte equivalent to the performance of a commercial carbon-supported platinum catalyst, has very high stability and is prepared with a simple preparation process and easy to amplify. Therefore, HxMaRbYcO3 can serve as a substitute of the carbon-supported platinum catalyst, and the hydrogen production cost is effectively reduced.