Over the past few years, ad hoc networks have developed very fast and become a leading and emerging field of research. Ad hoc networks are without fixed infrastructure and consist of many categories such as Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), Flying Ad Hoc Networks (FANETs), Underground Ad Hoc Networks (UNDGANs), and Sensor Ad Hoc Networks (SANETs). They are general-purpose in applications like disaster management, military missions, environment monitoring, surveillance, safety systems, security services, weather forecasting, and water quality analysis. Ad hoc networks are categorized by communication methods, signal traveling, mission goals, usage environments, mobility behavior, and node deployment. Each category has a different domain. MANETs enable communication between mobile users within terrestrial environments, with the ability to have flexibility in environments with low infrastructure. VANETs provide vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, facilitating road safety and traffic efficiency in urban, rural, and highway environments. FANETs facilitate high-speed aerial communication between UAVs (drones), appropriate for surveillance, reconnaissance, and remote sensing. UNDGANs are designed for communication in underground environments, appropriate for mining, pipeline monitoring, and tunnel surveillance. SANETs function in aquatic environments, having a key role in marine life tracking and underwater condition monitoring. Although they are increasingly significant, there has been a lack of comprehensive and concerted reviews on all these subdomains. This survey will act as a basic reference point, investigating architecture designs, real-world deployment, key features, MAC protocols, routing methods, security issues, comparative studies, current research activity, various challenges, and future directions in ad hoc networking.