4-Methoxyphenethyl (E)-3-(o-tolyl)acrylate (1) was obtained in a good yield by the reaction of 2-methylcinnamic acid, 4-methoxyphenethyl alcohol, 2-methyl-6-nitrobenzoic anhydride, 4-dimethylaminopyridine, and triethylamine at room temperature for 40 min. The structure of 4-methoxyphenethyl (E)-3-(o-tolyl)acrylate (1) was established by FTIR, NMR, and the high resolution of mass spectroscopies. 4-Methoxyphenethyl (E)-3-(o-tolyl)acrylate (1) showed higher α-glucosidase inhibition activity than standard drug acarbose. The molecular docking study exhibited that the title compound 1 had a good affinity for α-glucosidase (PDB ID: 3W37) and formed some interactions with the α-glucosidase active site residue.