The Internet seems to be divided over the real DTB meaning. However, there really are two ways the term can be interpreted.
While one is employed during text conversations on various apps, the other has a very recent origin and right now, only seems to be limited to social media platforms, especially TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Let’s get into what this abbreviation word stands for and how it can be used in your own vocabulary.
DTB meaning: What does DTB mean in texting?
In the world of texting, these three letters stand for “Don’t Text Back.” It’s hence commonly used to convey to someone that the conversation will be one-sided until they say otherwise.
There could be various reasons a person wouldn’t want someone to text them back.
For instance, when you’re in a meeting and don’t want your phone to buzz in the middle of it, you can end the conversation with DTB and the person on the other side can then stop the conversation.
It could also be used when one is upset with the other party or when someone knows that their phone is being peeked into.
How to use DTB in texting?
If the other party knows what it means, they will stop texting you back. For instance, you can say something like, “My meeting is about to start. DTB” or while using it in the context of someone peeking into your phone, you can just type “DTB” in your conversation.
Or when you don’t want to speak to someone you could say something like, “Leave me alone. DTB” There are many different ways in which this term can be used while text messaging.
The only thing that you need to be sure about is that the person at the other end is familiar with this slang.
What does DTB stand for on Snapchat & TikTok?
If you’re looking for the TikTok & Snapchat meaning of DTB, you’ve probably watched videos in which people have uttered the phrase without giving any context. The term has become so widely used on this platform that everybody just assumes that you’re familiar with it.
Related: What Does LFG Mean And Where Did It Come From?
Its origin can be traced back to the song “DTB 4 Life” by artist Julius Dubose from Atlantic Records, professionally known as A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
He raps, “I’m DTB forever, on God. I don’t trust b******. I don’t even trust my girl. I still try to f*** her friends and s***.
As you can see, A Boogie wit da Hoodie is alluding to the fact that he doesn’t trust women by using a rather derogatory slang term for them. This was picked up by people on TikTok and that’s how the use of of these three alphabets in this context got popular on TikTok.
A user of the social media platform, @imsmoothcody popularly employed the hashtag #DTB while discussing the feeling of betrayal he felt in his relationships. His followers were quick to pick up the meaning and make related posts themselves.
And then there were women like @uk._quote.central who rebelled against the misogynistic nature of the term and started using the acronym to mean “Don’t Trust Boys.”
Wrapping up
Whether it’s Don’t Text Back, Don’t Trust B******, or Don’t Trust Boys, you now know what the abbreviation stands for in all contexts. There is, however, a fourth context that’s not very well known online, but you should definitely be aware of it.
We’re talking about Dios Te Bendiga, which means God Bless You in Spanish. As you’d guess, it’s used by Spanish-speaking people while texting each other.