A method for recognizing a target object in an image, and an apparatus, where the method includes extracting feature data from an image, and transforming the extracted feature data into a uniform expression, performing automatic clustering for features in the image according to the feature data in the uniform expression and a historical clustering result, grouping a target object of a known class included in an automatic clustering result into the corresponding known class, in order to recognize a target object of the known class in the image, and training a classifier in a machine learning manner, for a target object of an unknown class included in the automatic clustering result, in order to recognize a target object of an unknown class in the image. In the embodiments of the present invention, recognizing a target object of an unknown class can be implemented.