You said:

Every time I re-read my story, they just feel like I was defining
them, instead of them defining themselves.

I believe you are picking up cues that you are telling and not showing.

Show, Don't Tell -- It's Not Just A Cliche

Think about the way you learn about people in real life.

More often than not, you learn by watching their behaviors, not because those people you meet in life run up to you and say,

"I'm an annoying jerk and you will probably think I'm stupid and want to get away from me in only a few minutes. Plus I only brush my teeth once a week."

Instead, you see and experience the actions people take.

You are at the grocery store and a middle-aged blonde cuts you off and
jumps in front of you in line. Then she turns, moves in too close to
you and the fumes of her foul breath blow directly into your face and she says,
"Oh I didn't see you there. Sorry. I'm in a hurry."

She does not have to tell you that she is rude and has bad breath from not brushing her teeth. You know it. You've just learned about her by her actions. That is what you need with your characters. You need actions that define them.

If you are showing your characters in various situations those actions will appear naturally and your characters will come to life.

However, if your characters are sitting around talking to each other and doing nothing, you'll find it much more difficult not to fall into the trap of "telling" your readers what your characters are like.

See It On The Movie-Screen of Your Mind

Many writers do not know that you need to see the scene play out first. Then you can write it down. Many writers think they'll just sit down and write a story and then they end up telling a story that does very little showing.

Try seeing a particular scene play out on the movie-screen of your mind. Imagine your character so vividly that you can see her. Now, what does she do? Let's say she is struggling to give her dog a bath.

Does the character pick up the leash and beat the dog with it? Or does she gently put her arms around the dog, pick it up and place it in the tub?
The difference is the characterization you are looking for.

Once you see it, then write it down just as you see it happening. But, do not write it down before you see it otherwise you will often tell the reader what happened and use weak description like:

She got mad at the dog.

or

She was a gentle with the dog.

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