And regret, painful as it is, can inspire you to do better.

"Overwhelmed with painful regret," Chan bowed.

Judith flew to her feet and, as he peered up at her, Andrew knew the most painful regret.

Her head lifted so she could glare accusingly at that roughly virile face, tormented by this painful regret on top of her intense grief.

At last he remembered with painful regret the drunken sailor it had been his intention to roll.

Before he could stop her, she moved across the bed, biting off a cry of painful regret as she lost the heat of his body.

Tada then says that he was stupid and lived a life of painful regret because he did not go after the person that he loved.

While we cannot anticipate the result with but painful regret, the inevitable destiny of the race is beyond the power and wisdom of man to avert

He releases my hand, and says with painful regret in his gruff voice, "Not that I did a darn bit of good."

There is no way you can avoid a full measure of painful regrets and might-have-beens.