Mr Nicklinson's health deteriorated rapidly since losing his landmark right-to-die action, his lawyer said, with the 58-year-old contracting pneumonia.
Solicitor Saimo Chahal said Mr Nicklinson had died at his home in Melksham, Wiltshire, with his wife Jane, two grown-up daughters Beth and Lauren, and his sister Ginny beside him.
'I am extremely sad to tell you that I received a call at 10:45am from Jane Nicklinson to inform me that her husband Tony died peacefully at home at about 10am this morning,' she told a press conference.
'Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia.
'He had made an advanced directive in 2004 refusing any life-sustaining treatment and also refused food from last week.'
Ms Chahal said after seeing a draft judgment of the High Court decision the 'fight seemed to go out of him', with the ruling leaving him 'heartbroken'.
She also praised the 'extraordinary' Mr Nicklinson, describing him as 'gutsy, determined and a fighter to the end'.
He had described his life as 'pure torture' after a catastrophic stroke during a business trip to Athens in 2005 left him paralysed below the neck and unable to speak.
The father of two was only able to communicate via a computer triggered by blinking or head movements, and recently appeared in a Channel 4 documentary about his plight.
A series of tweets posted on his Twitter account by his family this morning said: 'You may already know, my Dad died peacefully this morning of natural causes. He was 58.
'Before he died, he asked us to tweet: "Goodbye world the time has come, I had some fun".'
A third and final post added: 'Thank you for your support over the years. We would appreciate some privacy at this difficult time.'
Mrs Nicklinson later wrote on her own profile: 'I have lost the love of my life, but he suffers no more.'
The family said they would not continue with a planned appeal against the High Court ruling unless someone else in similar circumstances came forward to continue the fight.
Last week Lord Justice Toulson, Mr Justice Royce and Mrs Justice Macur at the High Court acknowledged the 'terrible predicament' Mr Nicklinson found himself in.
But they said it was the long-established legal position that 'voluntary euthanasia is murder, however understandable the motives may be'.
In their judgment they said it was for parliament to decide on changes to the law, not the courts, and that any changes would need the 'most carefully structured safeguards which only parliament can deliver'.
Wiltshire police meanwhile said there would be no investigation into Mr Nicklinson's death.
'Police are not involved at all. We can confirm he passed away and it is not a matter for Wiltshire police,' a statement said.
'His death certificate has been signed by a doctor, so it is not a matter for Wiltshire police or the coroner.'
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