DBA

What Does DBA Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

DBA means "Don't Bother Asking," "Doing Business As," and "Database Administrator."

Don't Bother Asking

DBA (Don't Bother Asking) is used to fend off an imminent question by warning that there is only bad news associated with the situation.

Doing Business As

DBA (Doing Business As) is a legal term to show that a trading name is not the legal name of the person who owns the business. DBA is also seen as "o/a" (Operating As) or "t/a" (Trading As).

Database Administrator

DBA (Database Administrator) is an IT professional responsible for installing, configuring, upgrading, administering, monitoring, maintaining, and securing an organization's databases.

Image for DBA

When I write DBA, I mean this:

On chat forums and in texts, the most common meaning of DBA is "don't bother asking."

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

DBA
Definition:	Don't Bother Asking
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of DBA in Sentences

Here are examples of DBA in conversations:

I've received my exam results. DBA.

Of note, DBA can also be a reply to a question.

Charlie: How did your exams go?
Jordan: DBA.

Mark Jones DBA Mark Batty.

I can't find anything I need these days. That new DBA has messed it all up.

An Academic Look at DBA

DBA is an initialism abbreviation. This means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Dee Bee Ay). (NB: Initialisms contrast with acronyms, which are spoken like words.)