The invention discloses an electrolyte for a lithium battery. The electrolyte contains a pyridine ionic liquid, and the pyridine ionic liquid contains cations and anions; the cations are N-alkylpyridine; and the anions are one kind of the anions of a group consisting of halite ions, tetrafluoroboric acid anions, hexafluorophosphoric acid anions, bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl)imine anions, lactic acid anions, p-methyl benzene sulfonate acid radical anions, acetyl sulfonyl imide anions, saccharin anions, amino acids anions, sulfuric acid ester anions, succinic acid diisooctyl ester sulfonate radical anions, 4,5-dimetridazloe anions, and 5-nitrotetrazolato anions. The electrolyte can change the reaction mechanism of the battery, improve the reduction rate of a cathode active material and the mass transfer rate of the electrolyte, and increase the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte, so the discharge voltage of the lithium battery is improved. Furthermore, the invention further discloses a preparation method for the electrolyte and the lithium battery containing the electrolyte.