diff --git a/UPGRADE.md b/UPGRADE.md
index 0c1fba1e138..339f0eac900 100644
--- a/UPGRADE.md
+++ b/UPGRADE.md
@@ -36,6 +36,23 @@ Use `Connection::createSchemaManager()` instead.
 The usage of `Connection::$_expr` and `Connection::getExpressionBuilder()` is deprecated.
 Use `Connection::createExpressionBuilder()` instead.
 
+## Deprecated `QueryBuilder::execute()`
+
+The usage of `QueryBuilder::execute()` is deprecated. Use either `QueryBuilder::executeQuery()` or
+`QueryBuilder::executeStatement()`, depending on whether the queryBuilder is a query (SELECT) or a statement (INSERT,
+UPDATE, DELETE).
+
+You might also consider the use of the new shortcut methods, such as:
+
+- `fetchAllAssociative()`
+- `fetchAllAssociativeIndexed()`
+- `fetchAllKeyValue()`
+- `fetchAllNumeric()`
+- `fetchAssociative()`
+- `fetchFirstColumn()`
+- `fetchNumeric()`
+- `fetchOne()`
+
 # Upgrade to 3.0
 
 ## BC BREAK: leading colon in named parameter names not supported
diff --git a/src/Query/QueryBuilder.php b/src/Query/QueryBuilder.php
index 24f1706fa38..cfed4b0130e 100644
--- a/src/Query/QueryBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Query/QueryBuilder.php
@@ -300,9 +300,35 @@ public function fetchFirstColumn(): array
         return $this->connection->fetchFirstColumn($this->getSQL(), $this->params, $this->paramTypes);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Executes an SQL query (SELECT) and returns a Result.
+     *
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    public function executeQuery(): Result
+    {
+        return $this->connection->executeQuery($this->getSQL(), $this->params, $this->paramTypes);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Executes an SQL statement and returns the number of affected rows.
+     *
+     * Should be used for INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE
+     *
+     * @return int The number of affected rows.
+     *
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    public function executeStatement(): int
+    {
+        return $this->connection->executeStatement($this->getSQL(), $this->params, $this->paramTypes);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Executes this query using the bound parameters and their types.
      *
+     * @deprecated Use {@link executeQuery()} or {@link executeStatement()} instead.
+     *
      * @return Result|int
      *
      * @throws Exception
@@ -310,9 +336,21 @@ public function fetchFirstColumn(): array
     public function execute()
     {
         if ($this->type === self::SELECT) {
+            Deprecation::trigger(
+                'doctrine/dbal',
+                'https://github.com/doctrine/dbal/pull/4578',
+                'QueryBuilder::execute() is deprecated, use QueryBuilder::executeQuery() for SQL queries instead.'
+            );
+
             return $this->connection->executeQuery($this->getSQL(), $this->params, $this->paramTypes);
         }
 
+        Deprecation::trigger(
+            'doctrine/dbal',
+            'https://github.com/doctrine/dbal/pull/4578',
+            'QueryBuilder::execute() is deprecated, use QueryBuilder::executeStatement() for SQL statements instead.'
+        );
+
         return $this->connection->executeStatement($this->getSQL(), $this->params, $this->paramTypes);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Query/QueryBuilderTest.php b/tests/Query/QueryBuilderTest.php
index 3313375cb16..4230baf0f31 100644
--- a/tests/Query/QueryBuilderTest.php
+++ b/tests/Query/QueryBuilderTest.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Query\Expression\ExpressionBuilder;
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Query\QueryBuilder;
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Query\QueryException;
+use Doctrine\DBAL\Result;
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Types\Type;
 use Doctrine\DBAL\Types\Types;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
@@ -1302,4 +1303,72 @@ public static function fetchProvider(): iterable
             'SELECT id, username FROM user WHERE password = :password AND username != :username AND id != :id',
         ];
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param list<mixed>|array<string, mixed>                                     $parameters
+     * @param array<int, int|string|Type|null>|array<string, int|string|Type|null> $parameterTypes
+     *
+     * @dataProvider fetchProvider
+     */
+    public function testExecuteQuery(
+        string $select,
+        string $from,
+        string $where,
+        array $parameters,
+        array $parameterTypes,
+        string $expectedSql
+    ): void {
+        $qb           = new QueryBuilder($this->conn);
+        $mockedResult = $this->createMock(Result::class);
+
+        $this->conn->expects(self::once())
+            ->method('executeQuery')
+            ->with($expectedSql, $parameters, $parameterTypes)
+            ->willReturn($mockedResult);
+
+        $results = $qb->select($select)
+            ->from($from)
+            ->where($where)
+            ->setParameters($parameters, $parameterTypes)
+            ->executeQuery();
+
+        self::assertSame(
+            $mockedResult,
+            $results
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testExecuteStatement(): void
+    {
+        $qb           = new QueryBuilder($this->conn);
+        $mockedResult = 123;
+        $expectedSql  = 'UPDATE users SET foo = ?, bar = ? WHERE bar = 1';
+
+        $parameters = [
+            'foo' => 'jwage',
+            'bar' => false,
+        ];
+
+        $parameterTypes = [
+            'foo' => Types::STRING,
+            'bar' => Types::BOOLEAN,
+        ];
+
+        $this->conn->expects(self::once())
+            ->method('executeStatement')
+            ->with($expectedSql, $parameters, $parameterTypes)
+            ->willReturn($mockedResult);
+
+        $results = $qb->update('users')
+            ->set('foo', '?')
+            ->set('bar', '?')
+            ->where('bar = 1')
+            ->setParameters($parameters, $parameterTypes)
+            ->executeStatement();
+
+        self::assertSame(
+            $mockedResult,
+            $results
+        );
+    }
 }