A discharge lamp (1) including a tubular discharge vessel (2), filled with inert gas and, optionally, a fluorescent layer, having at least three elongated electrodes (3, 4, 5) arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular discharge vessel (2). The electrodes are arranged in such a manner that the relationship ##EQU1## is satisfied, wherein s is the maximum spacing between an imaginary connecting line of an electrode pair and the most closely neighboring point on the wall of the tubular discharge vessel, and a is the mutual spacing between the electrodes of such electrode pair. A higher luminous density is achieved in this way. The lamp is particularly advantageous for a pulsed, dielectrically impeded discharge.